


Kiibouma Winter 2018

by KATastrofic222



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Accidental Kissing, Adoptive family, Alcohol, Child AU, Childhood Friends, Christmas, College AU, Do YOU want to build a snowman, Established Relationship, Harry Potter AU, Human!Kiibo, Humor, Karaoke, M/M, Nightmare Before Christmas AU, No underaged drinking, Sick Fic, Sleepy Cuddles, Ugly Sweaters, Winter, exchange gifts, gingerbread men, kabedon, mistletoe kiss, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-10-03 19:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 32,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17289641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KATastrofic222/pseuds/KATastrofic222
Summary: Winter/Christmas prompts I've received for December 2018.





	1. The Lie Behind Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> This took me a long time to fill due to some difficulties I've been experiencing ^^; But here it is! Prompt 1 out of 12 for the Winter season.
> 
> Prompt: "Headcanon about Santa Claus. Kiibo want to give away the children with presents until Ouma pops his dream saying he's a robot but he will help him anyway."

“I have always wondered about the significance of this elderly man,” Kiibo speaks up out of the blue as he lightly tugged at the small Santa doll’s hat. “I see him everywhere around December, but I never really wondered about his origin until now.”

“You mean to say you don’t know _anything_ about Santa Claus?” Ouma’s head perked up in interest.

“Yes,” replied the robot as he placed the doll back to its perch on the coffee table. “Can...you perhaps educate me on the subject, Ouma-kun?”

“Well, since Christmas is right around the corner, I guess I should be nice,” Ouma scooched closer to the robot and leaned close. “I don’t want Santa Claus to punish me for being naughty, after all.”

“P-punish?” Kiibo parroted, his ahoge shriveled with worry.

“Yeah!” The supreme leader moved back. “You don’t know this, but he is actually an international criminal known for breaking and entering!”

“A criminal?!” Kiibo’s ahoge jolted into an exclamation point. “That can’t be right. Then why is he everywhere during December?”

“That’s because it serves as a warning to children everywhere, since that’s his target demographic. Like, “if you see this man, he’ll break in your house.” And if you’re naughty, he leaves children a punishment to remember. It’s even worse if he catches you awake after he breaks in your home. He’s a disgusting criminal,” Ouma shook his head. “Why do you think children cry whenever their parents placed them on a pretend Santa’s lap in malls? They’re scared. They can sense his evil even though the mall employee is just playing pretend.”

Kiibo’s brows furrowed, as he thought back to the shopping trip he and Kirumi went on a few days prior. He did in fact see something like that in the mall, so it seems the supreme leader wasn’t lying after all. “I...see. I suppose that makes sense...”

“That was a lie of course~!” Ouma chimed in a sing-song manner, which got him a faceful of Kiibo’s orca plush. But not even the monochrome plush could stifle the raven-haired teen’s cackling.

Fortunately, the supreme leader _did_ explain the proper origin of Santa to him. Kiibo appreciated the historical detail that he would have otherwise not known, up to the modern depiction of Santa which was widespread throughout the world. There was one thing that stuck out to the android during his friend’s entire explanation though.

“The protector of children and sailors, huh,” Kiibo trailed off with awe.

“Yeah, but that’s St. Nicholas of Myra. The fatty in red you see everywhere is a faker _and_ a criminal!” Ouma punctuated his sentence with a huff, wagging his finger to emphasize his disdain for one of the most exploited icons of capitalism. “You guys keep going around saying how terrible I am for lying all the time, but here you are supporting the very icon that lets businessmen run off with money by selling his lie to middle-class families every Christmas season, too. Don’t you know how many children have trust issues now after realizing that Santa wasn’t real after all?”

“I-if you put it that way, that _does_ sound bad...but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with granting children momentary happiness by having them believe in Santa’s existence,” Kiibo fidgeted. “I-it is as you said before...not all lies are bad...you know?”

Ouma tugged his scarf over his nose as he looked away. “Hmph. _Of course_ you’d think that way. Cherishing fleeting moments created by make-believe...you were always so into cheesy things like that.”

“I wouldn’t call it make-believe,” Kiibo mumbled, trapping his chin between his index finger and a thumb in a thinking pose. “If you believed in something, that makes it real for you, doesn’t it? That’s why I...”

The supreme leader shifted his attention back to the android, tilting his head to the side--curious. “You what?”

Kiibo’s inner collar gated a little over his lips in mild embarrassment, his fidgeting becoming more prominent. “I...wanted to experience being Santa. J-just this once is okay!”

“And why is that?” Ouma tilted his to the opposite direction.

“I wanted to...uhm…” he clasped his hands together in an attempt to keep himself grounded. “I wanted to spread joy the way Santa does. To make children happy and seeing them smile. I thought that maybe I could learn something from the experience as well.”

“Ohhhh, I see!” Ouma tapped his finger against his chin. “But...you can’t be Santa.”

Kiibo stilled. “And why is that?”

The supreme leader moved to fold his arms behind his head. _“Becauuuuse,_ Santa isn’t a robot! Ergo, robots can’t be Santa!”

“Ghghk! I’m--I’m not trying to _be_ Santa anyway!” the android frowned. “I simply wanted to...understand the ‘happiness’ of giving rather than receiving.”

Ouma stared at the android for a couple of minutes before letting out an impressed whistle. “I didn’t think I’d live to see the day where little ol’ Kiiboy would want to emulate humanity’s greatest criminal. Sounds fun! Count me in.”

“D-do not mock me! And I’m not little!” Kiibo fumed like he always would whenever Ouma’s teasing finally started getting to him. His eyes widened in surprise upon registering the supreme leader’s last statement. “W-wait. ‘Count me in’? What are you scheming, Ouma-kun?” He narrowed his eyes at the grinning demon in white.

“Oh. You’ll see~”

 

\--------------------------------------------------

 

“I-isn’t this breaking and entering?”

“That’s what Santa does _all_ the time, I say we’re on the right track,” was Ouma’s response as he fiddled with the door’s lock using his trusty lock-picks. “Besides, if we tried the chimney way, the roof might cave in cause of your metal butt. That, and we don’t have magical flying reindeers.” _Click._ “...Or jetpacks.”

“While that’s true, I don’t think that this is the right way to go about this…” murmured Kiibo as he entered the orphanage right after the leader.

“What, you want to knock on the door and tell them, ‘do not mind me, I just want to drop off some presents’? You’d only come off as suspicious,” Ouma hissed his response. “Now shush. Keep yapping and we’ll get caught…!”

Kiibo frowned at his remark, but obeyed. What the leader said was true. It wasn’t meant to get a rise out of him like the usual robophobic remarks Ouma keeps regarding him with during their breaks. If other Ultimates were unused to the sight of such an advanced robot as he, what more if he was seen by unknowing adults? He’d scare them. Especially the children he sought to make happy in the first place.

Ouma gestured for the android to follow him to a hall without looking back. Kiibo wasn’t sure if he should be frightened with the fact that his companion seemed so used to the art of stealth which _hopefully_ , wasn’t used for a crime which they were technically already committi--Kiibo shook his head. He shouldn’t let himself get sidetracked. They only have one objective, and that was to leave presents for the orphans residing in the orphanage located not too far from their school campus.

They didn’t have the funds to buy brand new gifts, but it helped them a lot when their classmates allowed them to hoard the stuff they were about to throw out in preparation for the new year. Other than clothing and reading materials, however, Ouma even threw in some of his old toy collection that were still as good as new despite the chaotic state of his room. That gesture coming from the supreme leader moved him. Despite Ouma’s off-putting remarks about Santa Claus, he actually took the holiday’s tradition quite seriously. That begs the question though…

Why does it seem like Ouma knows exactly where everything is?

As if on cue, the supreme leader beckoned him with a finger, “Over here. You place the gifts right under the tree.” He whispered.

“Ah, right.” Kiibo settled the sack by the tree and began stacking the gifts carefully. It was impossible for two people to deliver gifts to all the children in the world, but if they could bring smiles to the children living in this orphanage, that would be already enough. His eyes widened in surprise once he realized that the presents had names on it. How did…?

“You sure you have time to be gawking at every single thing you see, Kiiboy?” Ouma hissed. “We don’t have all night!”

“Wha--? You know things would be a lot faster if you helped me with unloading the presents,” the android hissed back.

“Hey, you’re the one who wanted to play Santa, and that--” Ouma jabbed a thumb at the Christmas tree. “Is part of your job. Right now I’m just Santa’s lil helper.” He punctuates his sentence by biting on a gingerbread man.

Kiibo didn’t bother pressing the matter any further and sighed. Even he could tell that the supreme leader didn't want him to ask about the names. At least, not now. Besides, he was right. They didn’t have much time. He could just ask Ouma about it later. Without further ado, he resumed his task of laying out the gifts while Ouma handled eating the treats left by the children since Kiibo was unable to do so himself. Once they finished, they left the orphanage as silently as they had entered.

Seeing his companion’s genuine smile stopped the android from asking his question. Ouma won’t be able to make fun of him for not being able to read the mood now. Without really thinking, he grabbed the supreme leader’s hand and smiled. “Let’s go back.”

Ouma’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden gesture, but didn’t pull his hand away. His cheeks were flushed red from the cold. The _cold._ Definitely not because he was embarrassed or anything. “Carry me.”

“I believe we already established that I do not have the strength for that.”

“Tch. Laaaaaame-o!”

They were already too used to their bickering that they found themselves laughing afterwards.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------

 

They visited the orphanage together the day after. It was then did Kiibo discover that Ouma regularly dropped by this orphanage to play with the children. Everyone there was delighted to have them visit the children, although they didn’t expect to meet an actual robot of all things. The children happily regarded the two Ultimates, showing off the new gifts Santa gave them. Ouma and Kiibo shared a look with each other and smiled to themselves.

 


	2. Short-Distance Relationship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Kokichi making a couple's scarf for him and Kiibo to use. But the scarf ended up being a little short so they're just really close the entire time. Bonus points if they hold hands."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was surprisingly short, but I hope you'll enjoy reading this regardless!

“This is…”

“Don’t laugh! I know it’s too short for two people!” Ouma crossed his arms with an indignant huff. “I didn’t want to finish it late, so I had to finish it even if it’s not the right length.”

A few months ago, Ouma suggested that they try doing some “cheesy couple things” like wearing a couple’s scarf on Christmas Eve. He said something about ordering it off online early since the store might run out of stock and to avoid delivery delays. Kiibo took note of the wrist braces his boyfriend was wearing underneath his sweater sleeves, which was more than enough evidence that the latter lied about his plan to order the scarf and instead attempted to knit one himself.

Ouma tended to be quite childish and troublesome at times, but it’s at times like this where he’s just so... _cute._ A side that only he gets to see once they’re behind closed doors. Kiibo set the gift box beside him and held his boyfriend’s hands, pulling him closer.

“I’m not going to laugh at something you worked hard on,” Kiibo lifted both of Ouma’s hands to his lips and pressed a kiss on his fingers. “Go get ready, I want to try this scarf out with you.” The android’s smile does a better job at warming him up than their heater does.

“Okay...” Ouma murmured, reluctantly allowing his boyfriend to let go of his hands. He eyed the cool gray scarf resting on the android’s lap before heading for their bedroom to wear a more fitting outdoor attire for the cold weather. He put on a pair of white earmuffs and a gray coat lined with white faux fur. Kiibo was already waiting for him by the doorway by the time he finished double-checking the things he’ll need for tonight’s date. Kiibo met him halfway and carefully wrapped the knitted scarf over their shoulders.

Just as they both expected, it was way too long for one person, but not enough for two. Because of that, they’ll have to walk shoulder to shoulder just so the scarf wouldn’t slip off the other. Not like they minded, since they’ve always enjoyed being in close proximity with each other. Ouma prefers to hide that fact. Kiibo knew better though. Their first few steps together were a little difficult due to the constant tugging.

“I think holding hands would make this more comfortable,” Kiibo offered his hand, which Ouma took.

“It would be easier if you’d just say that I messed up on the scarf badly,” the former supreme leader mumbled bitterly.

The albino let out an amused huff before squeezing the smaller hand in his. “I don’t think it’s too bad being this close.”

“S-shut up!”

Kiibo simply responded with a laugh as he closed the door behind them. They’ve known each other since high school, but only started dating 5 years after graduation--roughly 2 years ago. They only started living together about a year ago, too. It seems the more time they spent with each other, the shorter the distance between them grows. And with their current predicament, it really shows.

Ouma’s blush darkened when the android leaned down to press a kiss on the crown of his head, as if to apologize for teasing him earlier.

“Let’s go, Kokichi.”

“Y-yeah...” he nodded, tightening his hold on his boyfriend’s hand.

As they strolled along the snowy path, Ouma silently wishes for Kiibo to kiss him again later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little bonus for everyone:
> 
>  


	3. Christmas Miracle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Kiibo meets a drunken Kokichi at a Christmas party and decides to help him get home as Kokichi can't drive. Bonus points if Kokichi ends up convincing Kiibo to stay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 5:36 am and I don't have much words to say for myself. Hope you'll enjoy this regardless!

You know how serious something is once your childhood friend’s college roommate calls you at 11 pm just to pick up your said friend from a Christmas party even though you don’t go to the same college. Kiibo shook off the snow that got on his coat by the bar’s entrance before showing the bouncer his ID. He released a sigh once he got inside, already disgruntled by the scent of smoke and liquor that permeated in the air. Why were they having a Christmas party at a bar of all places?

“Ah, Iidabashi, over here!”

Aquamarine eyes flitted towards a familiar crisp mint green haired male who was standing at the very back. He narrowed his eyes, spotting his childhood friend’s languid form laying beside him. Kiibo clicked his tongue as he made his way towards the two.

“I’m sorry for calling you out so late for this,” Amami bowed apologetically. “I told him that not all of the cocktails on the table are non-alcoholic, but he wouldn’t listen and decided to just drink whatever’s available. And well...”

“Whu-huh? Whozzat?” grumbled Ouma, lifting his head to see who the newcomer was--except his eyes were closed.

“Kokichi…”

Ouma’s eyes snapped open in an instant. He scrambled off his seat and clumsily welcomed the albino with a hug. “Kiibob!!! What took you--” he hiccuped. “--took you so long! I wuz waiting for you for _ages!”_

Kiibo struggled to balance his friend before sending his friend’s roommate an inquisitive look, to which the latter responded with a shrug.

“I told him it was time to go home but he was acting stubborn, saying that he won’t leave without you,” Amami explained. “He’s convinced that you went to this party with us tonight.”

Kiibo let out an exasperated sigh at the information. “To think he’d forget the fact that I study in a whole other school just because he’s intoxicated.”

“Kiibob~ Kiiboop~ Kiiboopy~” Ouma whined as he nuzzled the albino’s chest. “Let’s go home and eat cookies~!”

“Kokichi, we’re not children anymore,” Kiibo huffed. What made the situation less aggravating for him was the fact that Ouma had ended up with a reliable roommate, which is something he was grateful for. Who knows how much trouble Ouma would have been in if he ended up with someone careless? “Do you have his car keys? My car is under maintenance so I actually got here by cab.”

“Ah, yeah. Here,” the taller male rummaged through his coat pocket and handed the albino the item. “Frankly, I’m a little buzzed too. So you’re a real life-saver.”

Kiibo quirked a brow at that as he adjusted his hold on the raven-haired male, wrapping the latter’s arm over his shoulders. “Don’t you usually have a designated driver for these kinds of things?”

“...Ouma was the designated driver,” Amami nervously scratched his cheek.

He was only familiar with Kiibo simply because Ouma would talk about him regularly. They usually talked on the phone too, Ouma had him on speaker from time to time whenever his hands were full. He only managed to recognize the albino thanks to the photos his roommate would show him during impromptu storytimes about his childhood.This would actually be the first time they actually met face to face, so he wasn’t entirely sure how the albino would react to his roommate’s shenanigans.

“...I thought so,” Kiibo sighed, instead of asking more incredulous questions. “I’m truly sorry for this, Amami-kun. Kokichi could really be a handful sometimes.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it,” Amami waved a dismissive hand before pulling the door open for Kiibo so he could drag his cuddle monster of a friend out of the bar. “I didn’t mean to call you out this late at all, but you were the first name on his speed dial.”

Kiibo paused in his tracks before shaking his head. “Idiot. You should set your parents as your first emergency contacts.” He gave the drunken man a gentle flick on the forehead.

“Owww,” whined Ouma. “Wha--whyyyy? What did I do?” His eyes were welling up with tears. God, and Kiibo thought he was already immature before.

“I’ll scold you in the morning. But for now, we’re getting you in bed once we’re back in your dorm. Now behave for me, okay?” Kiibo made sure to pull his friend’s hood over his head to protect him from the cold.

Ouma blinked once, twice, before flashing him a goofy grin. “Okaaaay~”

Amami helped him buckle Ouma’s seat belt before entering the backseat area. Ouma’s drunken rambling was unintelligible, but the chartreuse-haired man couldn’t help but think that maybe Kiibo understood it all.

“I can’t understand what you’re saying, Kokichi,” Kiibo huffed as he pulled the car out of the parking lot with ease.

 _‘Ah. So that’s not the case after all,’_ Amami covered his mouth with a hand to muffle his chuckle. He must have been drunk enough to entertain such a silly thought. He then decided to direct his attention to the scenery outside. To think that Ouma had someone like Iidabashi to look out for him despite being his usual mischievous self. Maybe...that’s exactly why Ouma called out his name a lot while they were waiting for Iidabashi to actually arrive. He smiled to himself as his eyes flitted from the seat in front of him, then at the calm face of their driver. _‘Maybe that’s exactly why Ouma loves him.’_

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Kokichi, let go. I need to go home,” Kiibo sighed for the umpteenth time. Getting his friend changed and tucked into bed was already a struggle. But the biggest obstacle yet was having his friend latch on him like an over-sized koala.

“Noooo! Don’t goooo!” whined Ouma, punctuating his request with a hiccup. “Wh-whut if, if, Santa would get inside and eat all my cookies?”

“Kokichi…” the albino moved to pinch the bridge of his nose. “You don’t even have a chimney here, how would Santa get inside in the first place?”

“He has other waaaays!” Ouma shrieked the last word when Kiibo made another move to leave. “Kiiboooo, staaaay!” He sobbed. “I don’t want him to, to, eat my cookies…”

“I don’t understand how me being here would stop a large Christmas icon from eating sugary treats at dawn,” Kiibo deadpanned. His exhaustion was starting to take its toll. He really needed to get home.

“You can rocket punch Santa,” mumbled Ouma, whose face was already pressed against his back.

Kiibo eyed Ouma’s sleeping roommate with envy, since he had collapsed in bed as soon as they arrived. “No. I can’t. Also children would be sad if I accidentally obliterated Santa.”

“I’d be sad if Santa ate my cookies…” Ouma tightened his hold on the albino. “...But I’d be sadder if you leave… You--we--we never got to...hang out anymore.” The albino’s hands dropped to his sides as he heard muffled sniffles coming from his back. “Please? Don’t go…I’ll--I’ll even share my cookies with you!”

Kiibo closed his eyes, inhaled, exhaled, then pried his friend’s hands off of him, earning him a distressed gasp. He turned around and took a few steps forward before engulfing the raven-haired drunk in his arms, patting his head. “That’s a terrible bribe and you know it,” he chuckled, as he squeezed Ouma a little. “But okay. I’ll stay. Just this once, of course.”

Ouma was rendered speechless, his usually quick-witted mind was too inebriated to process what just happened. “H-huh? Does that…”

“Scooch over. I’m exhausted,” as if to prove his point, Kiibo yawned. On his good days, he’d regard his friend with his usual kind self. But right now he just wants some rest. Fortunately, his friend managed to pick up what he said and excitedly made space on his bed. They don’t know how or when, but somehow they managed to fall asleep in each other’s arms.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------

 

The first thing he noticed upon waking up was that the sun was too bright and that his head feels like there are a million jackhammers thundering into his skull.

“Oh my god….” Ouma groaned. “Everything hurts. What the fuck happened last night--” he paused. For a brief moment, all the pain in his body disappeared as soon as he realized that the childhood friend he's been pining after was sleeping next to him.

_Holy shit._

Santa _is_ real…!


	4. Kiibaby It's Cold Inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "ouma is very cold and Kiibo helps warm him up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just another short and sweet chapter for a short and sweet prompt.

“Kiiboy…”

Kiibo looked up from his place by the study desk. He eyed the supreme leader’s sleeping form on his bed, completely wrapped up in the robot’s sheets. His ahoge contorted into a question mark. _‘Sleep talking? That...hasn’t happened in a while.’_

“Kii...Kiiboy…” Ouma shuddered, his eyes still closed.

 _‘He doesn’t usually call my name either. I wonder what he’s dreaming about…?’_ He shifted in his seat before closing his book. _‘In any case, I should do something about it if he’s having a nightmare.’_

It was a strange arrangement, what they had. Ever since that one bug infestation in his room--which forced the supreme leader to evacuate to the robot’s room temporarily--Ouma started barging in his room just to sleep. It wasn’t only until a month ago did the supreme leader finally tell him about his sleeping problems. Apparently it was because he was used to sharing a room with DICE, his comrades and his family, and that the silence solitude brought made sleeping difficult for him.

He still wanted to keep his “evil supreme leader” image though, so he didn’t want to impose on him every single time and risk getting caught. Their arrangement was that Ouma would only come to his room to sleep if it was difficult to come by. It was simple enough for them to follow, which is why they’ve been able to do this for almost half a year with everyone still none the wiser. It also proved to be effective since Ouma started sleeping in his room less and less. The thought that he has someone to turn to whenever insomnia or sometimes nightmares hits him must have comforted him enough to be able to sleep on his own.

However, the moment the winter season rolled in, Ouma had been dropping by his room more frequently. And now that he’s sleep talking again, it can only mean that Ouma’s relapsing to his previous sleeping conditions.

“Kiiboy...it’s too cold…” the raven-haired teen murmured. His eyes were half-lidded now.

_Ah, so that’s what it was._

Kiibo left his seat to place a palm on his companion’s forehead, making the raven-haired teen flinch from the contact. “My apologies, I was getting a reading on your temperature.” His apology earned him some groggy grumbling in response.

In any case, Ouma really _was_ cold despite being wrapped up in his sheets. Kiibo hummed to himself, deep in thought as he weighed his options.

“I’ll go fetch your blankets from your room,” he didn’t wait for his companion to respond before he left his room. With Ouma’s sensitivity to the cold in mind, he finished his task as soon as possible and returned to his room with the supreme leader’s own blankets and sheets cradled in his arms.

“I have returned,” Kiibo greeted as he pushed his door closed with a heel.

“Nnnh...” Ouma allowed the other teen to disturb his curled up form just so the latter could tuck him in with the additional sheets. The android stepped back to inspect his handiwork.

“Does this feel better?” asked the albino. Instead of replying, Ouma closed his eyes, nuzzling his face against the familiar softness of Kiibo’s pillow and went back to sleep. Kiibo took it as a ‘yes.’ The albino moved to pat his friend’s head before returning to his study desk.

Time ticked by as he read chapter after chapter of Golden & Grey, the only sound he could hear was the flip of each page, the gentle whirring of his inner workings, and the supreme leader’s soft breathing. It was only an hour later did he realize that he could no longer hear the last one.

“Kiibo...”

Kiibo’s head snapped up in shock. He got far too engrossed with the book to notice that Ouma was no longer in bed, and was in fact standing right behind his seat with all of the blankets he had wrapped around his lithe form.

“Ouma-kun? Is something wrong?” he asked, forehead creased with worry.

Purple eyes flitted from the android’s face, then to the book in his hands, then back to the latter’s face, before mumbling. “...It’s too cold.”

Kiibo’s ahoge curled into a question mark. _‘Cold? Still? But you’re wrapped in 4 layers of sheets right now...’_

“Give me your heat,” Ouma demanded. Despite being groggy from sleep, his tone still carried with it the authority and power as expected of someone with his talent.

“But I don’t have a heating function--”

Kiibo’s response fell to deaf ears as the supreme leader moved to plant himself on the albino’s lap, resting his head against the latter’s chest.

“Shut up and let me sleep…” Ouma grumbled, shifting in his position a little before shutting his eyes. Soon his breathing leveled once more.

Kiibo blinked once, twice, before sighing. _‘If you wanted someone to cuddle with, you could have just said so.’_ He found himself stroking the supreme leader’s dark locks before resuming his reading.

Maybe he should consider getting a heating function installed after all.


	5. The Liar, The Robot, and the (Ugly) Wardrobe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Kokichi and Kiibo go to an ugly sweater party held by a mutual friend where they meet. They get caught under the mistletoe."

“What’s...this?” Kiibo’s eyebrows knitted together as he inspected the sweater that was thrust upon him by the whimsical artist. He pursed his lips at the sweater’s rather obscene design.

“Nyahahah~! Why, it’s an ugly sweater, of course!” Angie chimed, clapping her hands above her head as if in prayer. “Wearing it on December is a tradition in my island!”

“I...see,” Kiibo narrowed his eyes at the sweater, his ahoge curling into a question mark. Wearing sweaters? On an island? What an odd tradition. But he probably shouldn’t judge a person’s norm just because it sounded unusual. Not everyone has the same “normal” after all. He of all people should know that the best.

“Uwaaah! What a dirty sweater! I want it!” Ouma’s eyes sparkled with interest as he snatched the sweater from the android’s hands. “Hahaha! This snowman has a dick! That makes it instantly better than you!” He laughed before wearing the obscene sweater over his more innocuous white sweater.

“That’s clearly a carrot,” Kiibo huffed. He was already used to having the supreme leader sneak up on him from behind, he had already built up an immunity to it at this point.

“That’s okay, Kiibo! You can have this one!” Angie happily thrusts another sweater in his hands. This time it was designed to have an elf’s body sewed on it to make it seem like one was wearing the elf costume. A rather tame level of optical illusion. It was definitely better than the more obscene design Ouma was currently wearing as he happily admired himself on the mirror.

“Thank you, Yonaga-san,” Kiibo bowed a little before wearing the sweater over his black one.

The artist beamed at him with her trademark 10-megawatt smile. “You’re welcome! Atua is pleased!” she did a little twirl before skipping off to distribute more of her hand-made sweaters.

“What a lame sweater,” Ouma snorted. “But that’s what makes it perfect for you, I guess!”

The android frowned at his remark. “I could do without the scandalous design, Ouma-kun. The professor would be upset if he were to see me wear that.” He gave a little nod towards the supreme leader’s direction. “Your white sweater suited you better, too.”

The supreme leader paused before walking a few steps forward. “What did you just say?”

Kiibo took a step back, “What? Is there something wrong with what I said?”

“Don’t answer me with another question, stupid,” Ouma groused. “Say it again. What you said just now.”

Ouma took another step forward. Kiibo took another step back. It was like they were dancing some odd rendition of the tango. One step forward. One step back. Quick. Quick. Slow.

Aquamarine lenses widened as soon as he realized his back was already against the wall. He was about to move away when the shorter teen trapped him by slapping his hand against the wall right beside his head. What is with this situation?!

“Come ooon, just say it. It’s not like you said anything inappropriate,” Ouma’s  _ innocent _ smile was intimidating in a way.

Kiibo looked away, “Y-you’re making a big deal out of this. I only said that you looked better in your white sweater...”

“My, my, Kiiboy. Did wearing that ugly sweater give your confidence stat a boost?!” the raven-haired teen laughed. It seemed like he was mocking the robot just as usual, but it was clear that he appreciated the compliment.

“I’m afraid I do not unders--”

“JUST FUCKING KISS ALREADY AND LEAVE, OH MY GOD! Someone’s trying to get over a damn heartbreak here!”

The monochrome pair’s eyes landed on the inventor who was currently sprawled on the couch, wearing a pink sweater with “Merry Xmas, Bitch” embroidered on the front. She jabbed an accusatory finger at the infamous holiday plant that was hanging rather innocently right above where the monochrome Ultimates were standing.

They both looked up at the obligate hemiparasitic plant in question then at each other.

Ouma smirked. “What an interesting turn of events, huh! How about it, Kiiboy?” He leaned closer. “Kissing under the mistletoe is a sacred tradition, you know. Refusing to do so is absolutely taboo.”

Kiibo’s ahoge shriveled in dread. He had dreamed about experiencing romantic things like holding hands and first kisses before, but he didn’t think he’d be losing his first kiss this way. “B-but…”

Ouma wrapped his free arm around the android’s shoulder and carded his hand through the latter’s hair, guiding his head downwards. “Just close your eyes. It will be over soon.” His eyes were half-lidded as he steadily leaned in to close their distance.

Kiibo instinctively closed his eyes. Little did he know, the supreme leader merely planned to kiss him on the cheek. He was looking forward to seeing the android’s reaction.

“W-WHAT’S WITH THIS DISTASTEFUL DESIGN!? Yumeno-san shouldn’t have to wear something so vile and scandalous, Yonaga-san!”

Kiibo’s eyes shot open in shock, his head involuntarily jerked to the right to look for the fuming Neo-Aikido master. But what he found was the supreme leader’s lips on his own instead. Shocked purple eyes met equally shocked aquamarine orbs before Ouma hastily backpedaled, covering his lips with his sleeve.

“W-Why did you move?!” Ouma stomped his foot out of embarrassment and anger.

“I…” Kiibo was having trouble processing what just happened. His fingers traced his lips, trying to mimic the soft sensation of having the supreme leader’s lips brush against his very own. Why  _ did _ he move? He can’t seem to remember.

“GYAHAHAHAHAHA!!! That was fuckin’ embarrassing!” cackled Iruma. “As expected of you damn virgins!”

“Go choke on your smelly dildo, you filthy cum dumpster!”

“H-hieee!!!”

Ouma didn’t bother with degrading the inventor any further as he opted to storm off into the kitchen in an effort to hide his flushed face. He didn’t bother looking back. He already knew that Kiibo was sporting the same shade of red on his cheeks like he was, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Ouma's sweater:**   
>    
>  **Kiibo's sweater:**   
> 


	6. Snowboy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Young Kiibo and Kokichi building snowmen together."

Kiibo’s father was a weird scientist. For one thing, for someone so attuned with the sciences, he was awfully superstitious and would often warn him about wandering souls and even taught him some countermeasures should he ever come across one.

“You’re a child, you are more perceptive to the supernatural,” is what he said. Kiibo didn’t understand what ‘perceptive’ means, but he just shrugged it off and heeded his father’s warnings. He carried various charms on his person and even had a small pouch of purified salt in his pocket. He already knew which routes to take in order to avoid possible supernatural encounters.

But one day, he ignored those warnings. Perhaps he was suited to become a scientist like his father, he definitely had the curiosity of one, that’s for sure!

Class had just ended for Kiibo, and just as usual, he was supposed to meet with his father by the school gates. The campus was completely blanketed with snow by the time he left the building. He took slow and steady steps down the stairs, not wanting to slip and risk falling on his face. That was when he saw a small and lonely figure sitting on the snow not too far from where he was. The rest of his class were already heading for the main gate, but for some reason this child wasn’t.

Kiibo checked the gate to see if his father was already there. Finding out that he wasn’t, he decided to approach the figure. Once he was close enough, he was now able to make out the dark colored hair and pristine white clothes. He paused in his tracks. He remembered his father say something about this.

Jet black hair, white clothes, skin as white as snow--the figure looked too small to be a full-fledged _yuki-onna._ Perhaps, it’s a _yuki-musume?_ Is this figure even a girl? Maybe he should ask just to clarify.

He continued towards the mysterious figure and gave its shoulder a tap. “Excuse me.”

The figure straightened their back in shock before turning around to look at Kiibo. “...Ah, yes?”

“Are you a girl?” Kiibo blurted out without skipping a beat.

The other child regarded him with confused purple eyes before replying. “No…? I’m a boy.”

Kiibo blinked once, twice, before heaving out a sigh of relief. “I thought you were a _yuki-musume!_  I’m glad I was wrong.”

The child looked at him weirdly before returning his attention to the pile of snow before him. “Those aren’t real.”

The albino lifted a brow at his statement. “Well, we can’t really say so for sure. There are plenty of things we’ve never seen before.” Kiibo eyed the little snow pile the other child had gathered so far. “By the way, are you making a snowman?”

The dark haired boy lifted his head to meet his eyes before shyly nodding his head. “My mom said she’ll be a little late today, so I’m just playing with snow right now.”

“Oh,” Kiibo moved to sit across the child. “Can I help?” he beamed.

“Huh?”

“My dad isn’t here yet. Also it looked like you needed help,” the albino explained. “May I?”

The other child looked at him in shock before nodding his consent. “Um…what’s your name? My name is Ouma Kokichi from the Moon class.”

“Ah, I’m from the Sun class. My name is Iidabashi Kiibo! But you can just call me Kiibo,” the albino gave his companion a little bow. “Nice to meet you.”

For the first time during their entire conversation, Ouma smiled as he worked on the snowman’s first layer. “It’s the first time someone wanted to play with me. I’m...really happy right now.” His face took on a more rosy color at his declaration.

Kiibo tilted his to the side, trying to recall a distant memory. The Sun class and the Moon class often competed against each other during school events. The Star class wasn’t as competitive as the other two classes. Now that he thought about it, he remembered seeing someone getting left behind often in the Moon class.

“Ah. I didn’t bring a carrot with me,” Kiibo suddenly blurted out, already distracted with this new thought. It was just so out of nowhere that it surprised his companion, prompting the latter to laugh.

“It’s not like I bring carrots to school with me just to make a snowman,” Ouma laughed. “I usually just use a stick.”

“Ohh,” the albino looked around their little work area before standing up. “I’ll go look for his face and arms then!”

The raven-haired boy was speechless. The other boy had already left him behind before he could even say something about it. “He just keeps doing whatever he wants.” Ouma huffed as he molded and patted the snow with a little more fervor. He’d look up from time to time to look for Kiibo as he worked--a little worried at the thought that he got left behind again. But once he spots the other boy’s tell-tale ahoge, he found himself calming down before resuming his work.

“I’m back! I’m sorry I took so long,” Kiibo greeted. He was cradling a few stones in one arm while holding three sticks with his other hand, a little out of breath from all of his searching. His eyes sparkled with awe as he saw Ouma’s progress. “You work really fast!”

Ouma jolted a little from the sudden praise, he looked away, tugging his scarf upwards to hide his blushing cheeks. “I’m just used to making snowmen...” he murmured. “Besides, that’s just his lower body.”

“That still looks amazing though!” Kiibo praised as he sat down. “I’ve never built a snowman before. The only thing I can make are snow rabbits.”

“Wait, really? How come?” Ouma paused with his work.

“My dad doesn’t really want me to stay out in the snow alone,” Kiibo explained as he started forming a snowball in his hands. “Snow rabbits are the only thing I can make easily without staying out too long, so...”

“Is it related to that _yuki-onna_ stuff?”

“Yup.”

“Ohh…” Ouma eyed the albino curiously. _‘His dad is weird. I thought grown-ups don’t believe in that kind of stuff anymore.’_

“He believes in many things, not just the _yuki-onna._ My dad just worries a lot,” Kiibo smiled as he finished molding his snow rabbit’s body. “I don’t know if they’re real or not, but it makes him happy if I’m safe, so I don’t mind.”

“Your father really loves you, huh,” mused Ouma as he stood up to mold his steadily growing snowball into a bigger one. Kiibo set his little faceless and earless snow rabbit to the side and approached his companion to help him push the snowball.

“Mmhm. And I love him too,” Kiibo smiled as he matched the raven-haired boy’s pace. “I’m sure your mom loves you lots, and that you love her too.”

Ouma’s eyes widened in mild surprise before nodding aggressively. “I do! I love my mom very much! Actually, she’s the one who taught me how to build a snowman!”

“She sounds amazing,” Kiibo paused in his tracks. “Also I think it’s already big enough.”

Purple eyes followed his gaze, once he confirmed that what the albino said was true, he let out a soft gasp. “Oh you’re right! Uhm, help me carry it over the body.”

“Roger that,” Kiibo laughed.

They both later realize that they were far too short to make the traditional three-layered snowman, so they settled with a two-layered one instead. Chattering away as they added the eyes and mouth using the stones, followed by the nose and arms using the sticks Kiibo had gathered earlier. They were grinning at each other once they were finished.

“Ohh, what a handsome snowman!”

Both children froze up at the sudden praise before slowly turning around. Ouma’s eyes glowed with happiness once he realized who the owner of the voice was.

“Mama!” he hurriedly left the albino’s side and rushed to greet his mother with a hug, who simply laughed as she returned the hug.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” his mother gave him a soft kiss on the forehead before giving him another hug. “You weren’t lonely, were you?”

Ouma shook his head, “No! I had Kiibo with me!”

Kiibo flushed pink in embarrassment when his new friend’s mother regarded him with a grateful smile. He didn’t know how to respond to something like that--he was only doing the right thing after all. Although he _did_ mistake Ouma for something more otherworldly at the beginning...

“Kiibo,” before the younger albino could react, he was overwhelmed by the sensation of his father’s familiar hand mussing up his hair. “I see that you made a new friend.”

Kiibo flashed his father the biggest smile he could muster before nodding. “Yeah!”

It turned out that Kiibo’s father had already arrived a couple of minutes ago, followed by Ouma’s mother. But seeing as they were still working on the snowman, they decided to wait for them to finish. Unlike the children, they didn’t exchange words with each other at all. Just watching their respective child enjoying themselves in the snow was more than enough.

Once they were all set to leave the school, Kiibo and Ouma happily waved at each other goodbye before going on their respective ways home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **yuki-onna -** "snow lady"  
>  **yuki-musume -** "snow daughter/girl"


	7. All I Want For Christmas Is...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Pregame Kiibo and Kokichi end up getting each other for secret Santa. Bonus points if they get caught under the mistletoe and are kinda shy about it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I had exams and this thing ended up being longer than intended.
> 
> Notes: Karaoke lyrics are in brackets and underlined.

“Are you going to your part-time job?”

“Ah, yes! Sorry about this, Iidabashi-kun…”

“...It’s okay,” Kiibo smiled. “You’re saving money for your giftee, right?”

Ouma nodded guiltily. He felt that he had been neglecting their friendship recently because of the whole Secret Santa idea that Shirogane proposed. The whole class seemed excited about it, and everyone easily agreed to schedule the gift exchange during the Christmas party. He didn’t want to participate at first--but after seeing whose name he got...he wanted to do it. That’s why he’s working so hard in the first place. “But still…”

Kiibo interrupted his negative thoughts by giving him a reassuring pat on his head. “I can’t blame you for wanting to do your best, you know. I’m sure whoever your recipient is, they’ll cherish the gift you gave them since you put in so much thought on it. Now, you better go or else you’ll be late for your job.”

Ouma’s eyes widened in shock. “C-crap you’re right! I’ll see you tomorrow Iidabashi-kun!” He bid his friend goodbye with a wave before rushing off.

The albino returned the wave even though the raven-haired teen missed it. He heaved out a sigh once his friend was out of sight before entering the game shop nearby.

 

\----------------------------------------------------

 

Ouma had been looking forward to the party. So much so that he marked his calendar and crossed out dates each night. But just as soon as he was standing in front of the karaoke bar, he found it difficult to step inside. The karaoke bar the majority of the class chose to hold the party in was recently built and currently the fanciest karaoke bar he had ever seen in his entire life. He felt incredibly small and out of place--even just dawdling in front of the establishment is intimidating.

The weight of the mint green gift bag in his hand was starting to overwhelm him too even though in reality, it wasn’t that heavy at all.

 _‘Come on Kokichi. You’ve been waiting for this day. Man up. Take a deep breath and just put your right foot forward,’_ he took a deep breath, waiting a few beats before lifting his right foot.

….

He placed it back down and buried his face in his hands. _“I can’t do it…!”_

“Huh? Ouma-kun? Are you feeling ill?” the raven-haired teen lifted his head to find Yonaga looking at him with a worried smile.

“Y-Yonaga-san? Ah, no, I’m okay--”

“You shouldn’t ignore the early signs of sickness, you know!” the platinum blonde girl then moved to grab him by the arm. “Let’s go somewhere warmer so you won’t catch a cold. Staying outside might aggravate your symptoms!”

“A-ah, wait, Yonaga-san--!” Ouma helplessly protested as he was being gradually dragged in the karaoke bar.

“Oooh! It’s so nice and warm here,” Yonaga cheered. “Isn’t that great, Ouma-kun?”

Ouma lifted his scarf to cover his mouth, “Y-yeah.” Now that he’s finally inside the establishment, he felt ten times smaller. No wonder this place is popular. It was so big that it could cater to a large amount of customers even during peak seasons like Christmas.

 _‘Toujou-san chose this place for everyone’s comfort and convenience, but I feel kind of guilty having her pay for all of this. Even if she did say that it’s her gift to everyone before she leaves for a family vacation.’_ He sighed as he idly followed the upbeat shrine maiden before him.

“Our room number is 53, right?” she turned to face him as she walked backwards, hands clasped behind her back.

“Yeah,” he nodded.

Yonaga flashed him a bright smile, “Roger that then~!” She did an about-face so she could check the room numbers properly. “Oh! There it is! Hurry, hurry~!” Once again, the raven-haired teen found himself getting tugged along by his classmate once more.

It was probably due to the familiarity, but as soon as Yonaga pushed the door open, his eyes immediately fell on his best friend, Kiibo, who was currently engaged in a conversation with Saihara. They were probably discussing another mystery novel considering how passionately the aspiring novelist was talking. Yonaga had already left his side to join Akamatsu and Harukawa’s conversation.

“Ah, Ouma-kun! You’re finally here!” Shirogane waved a hand. “We’re currently waiting for Momota-kun and Hoshi-kun to return with the maracas and the tambourine. You didn’t miss anything.”

Ouma greeted the bespectacled girl with a short bow, “Hello, Shirogane-san. I’m sorry for being late.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine!” She waved her hand dismissively. “The important thing is you’re here! Now go have a seat.”

“Ouma-kun, I saved you a seat,” his back straightened at the sound of his friend’s voice. God, why is he so tense!? Actually, he already knew the answer to that...But still! He shouldn’t make it obvious. Iidabashi is perceptive--he’d be found out too soon and that would be too embarrassing.

He took a deep breath before turning around and smiled, “Thank you.”

The albino teen scooted next to him as soon as the latter sat down. “It was pretty crowded today, wasn’t it?”

Ouma nodded as he set the gift bag beside him. “Yeah. I should’ve left my house earlier...” His eyes unconsciously wandering towards the white gift box wrapped with a golden ribbon found next to his friend. “Is that your gift?”

Kiibo’s eyes widened a little, before regaining his composure. “Yes. Ah, that’s right. Shirogane-san said that we’ll be exchanging our gifts once everyone has sung at least one song.”

“W-what?” Ouma checked if Saihara was nearby, but found him engaged with a conversation with Akamatsu. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he leaned in close, covering the side of his face to prevent prying eyes from reading his lips. “...Will you be okay?”

Kiibo heaved out a sigh before looking away. “I have no choice in the matter. I have to do it.”

Ouma made a mental note to leave the room once it was the albino’s turn in the limelight.

“What about you? Will you be okay singing in front of a crowd?” Kiibo whispered back.

“I...don’t really know. But I can manage...somehow,” Ouma fiddled with his fingers as he replied. “I mean, you heard me sing before...so maybe if I imagine that you’re the only one around, I’d be comfortable enough.”

Before the albino could respond, Momota had entered the room with a boisterous “We’re back!” with Hoshi silently trailing behind him with the maracas in hand.

“Alright, that means we can get this party started,” Amami chuckled as he picked up a microphone. “So, what’s the singing order? Everyone has to sing at least one song, right?”

“Oh, I prepared some lots while waiting for Momota-kun and Hoshi-kun to come back,” Chabashira waved a cup filled with chopsticks in the air. “I wrote numbers on each stick to help us decide the order!”

“Okay, let’s gather in a circle,” Akamatsu smoothened her coat before moving to the more spacious corner of their room. Everyone else followed suit, forming a tight circle, eyes already scanning which chopstick to pick.

“Since the cup is in your hand, you draw first Chabashira-san, then I pass it to the right,” Shirogane instructed.

“Okay, got it!” the martial artist did as she was told but didn’t dare look at the number on a stick yet. They all waited until everyone managed to draw a chopstick.

“On a count of three, we’ll check our numbers, okay?” Akamatsu took a deep breath before counting down. “One, two, three!”

 

The results were as follows:

1 - Saihara Shuuichi

2 - Akamatsu Kaede

3 - Shirogane Tsumugi

4 - Amami Rantarou

5 - Momota Kaito

6 - Iruma Miu

7 - Gokuhara Gonta

8 - Harukawa Maki

9 - Chabashira Tenko

10 - Hoshi Ryoma

11 - Ouma Kokichi

12 - Yonaga Angie

13 - Toujou Kirumi

14 - Yumeno Himiko

15 - Shinguuji Korekiyo

16 - Iidabashi Kiibo

 

Ouma and Kiibo shared a look. Having the albino sing last was probably for the best. But at the same time, it would be one unfortunate way to end their karaoke session.

“Alright let’s get this party started!” Momota pumped a fist in the air. “Get singing, Shuuichi!”

“Don’t rush me,” huffed the ebony haired teen as he inputted his song of choice before grabbing a microphone from the table.

Once he was settled in his spot on the small stage, he pressed play. A confident smirk found its way on his face as soon as he registered the look of recognition on Amami’s face once the rhythmic strumming of an electric guitar started blaring from the speakers. Saihara started bobbing his head and tapping his foot in tune with the song’s melody before lifting the mic to his lips…

 _[ “We spat out a bunch of careless words, and cried about all memories of old. How about we make today the last one? Waiting for the ready, set go. We held hands, just you and me. That was when I was still in my old brave phase.”]_ Everyone cheered and clapped when Saihara struck a pose.

[ _“It’s alright if you don’t want to stop now. Life is such a hypocritical thing. Don’t tell me that you just can’t do it. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear it.”]_ Saihara started bobbing his head to the music once more, doing a little tap dance as he continued singing. [ _“I don’t want to hear that it’s too late now.”]_

Ouma shrank in his scarf a little as the aspiring novelist sang the chorus with fervor, garnering more of their classmate’s cheers. “I didn’t expect Saihara-kun to be this enthusiastic about karaoke.”

“He isn’t, but he’s been listening to this song a lot lately,” Amami chuckled. “Though he already bought the singer’s album that had this same song.”

“Ohh,” the raven-haired teen nodded his head in understanding. “...This song sounds really catchy.”

“Hahaha, yeah,” the chartreuse haired teen leaned against his seat. “I think it’s the perfect song to start the party. Look at how everyone’s so into it already.”

Ouma noticed the albino slightly bobbing his head and tapping his foot along with the song from the corner of his eye. He huffed a laugh, “I guess so.”

“What song are you planning to sing, by the way?” Amami lifted the song book as he asked.

“Ah…” Ouma scratched his cheek a little and looked down. “W-well, since it’s Christmas, I thought of singing a Christmas song. What about you?”

“Ohh I thought so too. I’m planning to sing Nissy’s “Gift,” since it seemed easy to sing,” Amami then handed him the song book. “You should decide on something soon. It would be your turn before you know it. Iidabashi too.”

“T-true. Thank you for the song book, Amami-kun.”

“No problem.”

Ouma started flipping through the song book, flinching a little when he felt the albino sit closer. “Ah, do you want to pick a song too?”

“I don’t think the results would change no matter what song I select,” Kiibo chuckled. “What song will you be singing?”

“Oh, probably...something in English,” the raven haired teen shyly scratched his cheek. “There’s this American song my mom listens to a lot every Christmas, so I more or less got the lyrics down. Though I’m a little worried that I might mess up the pronunciation...”

Kiibo moved to pat his friend reassuringly, “Don’t mind, don’t mind. We’re here to celebrate and have fun. It’s not a contest to see who can sing the best, so don’t worry. Okay?”

Embarrassed, Ouma hid his face with the song book and nodded.

“What’s the song called, if I may ask? My father tends to listen to foreign songs too,” Kiibo asked as he moved out of his friend’s personal bubble.

“U-Um, it’s “All I Want For Christmas is You”, by Mariah Carey-san. My mom listens to her songs a lot, so...” Ouma replied as he jotted down the song number on a slip of paper. “This karaoke bar is amazing though, it has a song selection for other languages too, not just English.”

“I never really went to karaoke bars before, so I don’t really have a point of reference,” hummed the albino. “Oh, you did tell me that your mom would invite you to join her for karaoke before.”

“Mmhm. But it’s my first time going here. I actually had trouble entering because I got intimidated,” Ouma let out a nervous laugh. “Luckily Yonaga-san arrived when she did, otherwise I don’t think I’ll be able set foot at all.”

“Ah--”

“Sorry for intruding, but may I borrow the song book for a bit?” Chabashira wrung her hands together, worried that she did something wrong.

Ouma shook his head a little, “It’s okay, I already finished choosing a song. Here you go.”

“T-thank you!” the martial artist did a hasty bow before returning to her best friend’s side. Ouma find himself smiling at the sight of Yumeno patting someone taller than her. “Chabashira-san is really doing her best to conquer her fears. I admire her a lot for that.”

“You’re doing your best too, Ouma-kun,” Kiibo smiled. “Everyone is doing what they can to be the best version of themselves everyday.” Both teens flinched from Momota’s sudden and explosive: **[“ONE PUUUUUUNCH!!!”]**

“W-wh...that...that shocked me,” Ouma sighed, pressing a hand over his heart.

“Y-yeah…” the albino simply nodded. “Though, it’s just like Momota-kun to choose a song like this.”

“Childish, shounen-type songs?” their heads turned to look at their pink-blonde haired classmate, who huffed out a laugh. “Definitely. By the way, has it really been 5 songs already? Sure Momota is singing now, but it doesn’t feel that way doesn’t it? What are the odds that this karaoke bar has time distortion properties?”

“I think that’s a little too extreme for a karaoke bar to have, Iruma-san,” Ouma offered. “But you’re right. Time went by so fast, I didn’t notice that we’re already on the 5th singer.”

“You just gotta buckle up then. If I were you, you better start giving yourself some mental pep-talk,” Iruma paused to stretch her arms. “I want to get this gift exchange over with so I can go help my dad around the shop--”

“Hey! Iruma! You’re up!” Momota yelled through the mic.

Iruma heaved out a sigh before kicking herself off her seat, “No need to yell, dumbass. Now gimme that mic!”

“They’re always so lively,” Kiibo remarked with a smile. “I’m glad I went. Even if there wasn’t a gift exchange involved, I would have been happy just to spend time with everyone.”

Ouma looked down at his lap, a little embarrassed for staring at his friend’s face for too long. “...Me too.”

 

\---------------------------------------------------------

 

As soon as his turn was over, Ouma had left the room for some air and a chance to compose himself after singing in front of his classmates for the first time. Without thinking too much about it, he accidentally brought his exchange gift with him outside. He didn’t know why he did that, but it just felt right for some reason. He sighed as he took a seat on the orange leather sofa set in the lobby.

He closed his eyes and took deep breaths, blushing hard as he recalled everyone’s surprised faces and encouraging cheering as he sang the song. “Ahhh...it’s no good. I’m too embarrassed…!” he groaned, hugging the gift bag to his chest for comfort. He released a sigh as he was reminded of the gift’s contents.

“I wonder if...this is enough…?” he murmured. _‘I have so much to thank him for, but this is all I could give him...’_

He did two part-time jobs just to earn what he needed for the gift. His mother did offer to pay for the gift in his stead but...this was something he wanted to work for by himself.

 

_‘Everyone is doing what they can to be the best version of themselves everyday.’_

 

Kiibo’s words echoed in his mind, prompting him to smile. He really always knew what to say in order to uplift everyone’s mood. Which is exactly why he wanted to work hard this Christmas.

“Ouma-kun.”

His jolted in his seat before meeting the albino’s gaze. “You finished singing already?”

“I wouldn’t exactly call it _singing_ but...yes,” Kiibo coughed awkwardly before offering the shorter teen a hand. “The gift exchange already started, so I went to pick you up.”

“Ahh, I see,” Ouma laughed nervously as he accepted the offered hand and allowed his friend to pull him up to his feet. “Did you manage to give your partner their gift yet?”

“No, not yet. I actually came to get you first,” Kiibo replied as he started walking.

“O-oh…” Ouma looked at the bag in his arms and then at his friend. This was the perfect chance for him to give the gift to its proper recipient. He’d be too self-conscious if he does this inside the room, where everyone could witness him act pathetically. “U-um...Iidabashi-kun, wait.”

The albino tilted his head inquisitively, stopping short from pushing their room’s door open. “Is there something wrong, Ouma-kun? Did you forget something in the lobby?”

Ouma shook his head, his grip on the gift bag tightening as he prepared himself. “T-the truth is...” he thrusted the gift bag in the taller teen’s direction and bowed. “I was the one who drew your name for the exchange! S-so--please accept this gift!”

The raven haired teen didn’t dare look up until the weight of the gift bag left his hands. Purple eyes widened at the sight of Kiibo’s flustered face, which he tried to hide with a gloved hand. He was starting to piece things together, which made the albino’s cheeks grow redder and redder.

“T-thank you, Ouma-kun,” he stammered. “I--I didn’t think that it was for me. I knew that you worked so hard for this, too...I--”

“L-leave that for later, once you’ve seen what’s inside. Um, we better go inside now before everyone starts worrying,” Ouma rubbed the back of his neck lamely, averting his eyes from his friend’s appreciative gaze.

Kiibo caught on to his embarrassment and nodded. “Y-yes, you’re right.” He wrapped his hand around the doorknob once more and gave it a twist.

The entire room went silent as soon as they pushed the door open. Before either of the monochrome pair could ask, their classmates scrambled out of their seats and sent the entire room in an uproar.

 

_**“YOU’RE UNDER THE MISTLETOE!!!”** _

 

As soon as their brain processed the words, both Kiibo and Ouma slowly looked up, freezing upon realizing that yes, there really was a mistletoe hanging above their heads.

“W-when did this get there! I-I didn’t notice this at all!” Ouma stammered.

“Huh? You didn’t notice?” Shirogane gasped. “It’s been there by the time Iruma-san was singing.”

“That’s because you were too busy looking at the floor to see it,” Yumeno wagged her finger as she spoke.

“This won’t do at all, Ouma-kun. Your lack of awareness will get you killed,” Saihara tutted, shaking his head as he did so.

“Anyway, that aside. What’s it gonna be? Smooch or bail?” Iruma slammed her hands against the table. “I hope you didn’t forget that there’s a penalty if you bail.”

“I didn’t hear of a penalty either!” Ouma blanched as his escape route had completely vanished before his very eyes. “When was that decided?”

“I actually wasn’t aware of a penalty either,” Kiibo hummed, trapping his chin in between his fingertips as he tried recalling such an arrangement.

“I also--!” Chabashira raised a hand, which she slowly put down. “...D-don’t remember that there was a penalty...”

Akamatsu clapped her hands once to grab everyone’s attention, “It was during a voice call. I’m sorry, it slipped my mind that some of you were already asleep when the call started, that’s why you didn’t know!”

“So? What’s the penalty?” Hoshi pocketed his hands as he asked.

“It’s nothing too serious. Just that you have to treat the class to food,” Amami replied.

Kiibo took note of the raven-haired teen’s pale complexion and shaking pupils, it practically screamed ‘I don’t know if I brought enough money to treat everyone.’

“Ouma-kun, it should be fine,” he offered a small smile as he shut the door behind them. “I don’t mind doing it.” His eyes never left Ouma, paying no heed to the impressed whistles and the soft gasps of their peers.

It was a little impressive how quick the shorter teen was to change color, from red, to white, to red once more.

“A-are you sure, Iidabashi-kun?!” Ouma looked at his friend in shock. “I-it’s a kiss, you know!”

Kiibo shrugged as he tugged him closer, “Perhaps. But the rules didn’t exactly specify that it had to be on the lips.”

“AH! Iidabashi you cheating prick--!” Iruma yelled. But the pair was no longer paying attention.

Kiibo used his free hand to brush away his dark locks from his face before pressing a gentle kiss on his forehead. Ouma had instinctively closed his eyes as soon as the albino slowly leaned in to close the gap, releasing a breath once he felt the other’s soft lips on his skin. His cheeks heated up even more as soon as he registered the hoots and cheers of their class.

“That was sly of you, Iidabashi-kun,” Yumeno wiggled her fingers towards his general direction. “I just cast a curse on you. You’ll keep finding yourself under the mistletoe no matter what, from now on. This spell expires as soon as the year changes.”

“Come to my shrine tomorrow to get rid of the curse, Iidabashi-kun!” Yonaga chimed, pressing her hands together as though in prayer.

“Whaaat? Don’t you dare undo my spell like that!” whined the crimson haired teen.

“Anyway, we should continue with the exchange so we can go eat dinner right after,” Harukawa’s voice easily cut through the shorter girl’s whines. “We’d be able to go home sooner too.”

“Yes, that’s true,” Toujou nodded. “Well then, shall we resume?”

While the others got down to business, Kiibo led the dazed Ouma to the direction of their things and sat him down.

“Hey, Ouma-kun,” Kiibo called as he grabbed his white and gold gift box.

“Y-yes?”

“Actually…” Kiibo reached for his friend’s hands before placing the gift atop it. “I drew your name for the exchange as well.”

“HAH?!” Ouma covered his mouth with both hands, embarrassed by his sudden outburst.

The albino bowed a little, trying to hide his red cheeks. “I was shocked too, when you gave me your gift. The chances of picking each other’s names are slim...and yet here we are.” He slowly guided Ouma’s hands back to the latter’s lap. “Go ahead and open it.”

Ouma looked at the box’s golden bow, then at his friend, then back to the box. He took a deep breath and carefully tugged the ribbons’ ends, unraveling the bow back to its original form. The first thing he saw upon lifting the cover was a carefully folded scarf patterned in checkers of black and white. He ran his hand on it, finding out that it was made with a thick material to maximize warmth. “A scarf…”

“I noticed that you’ve been shivering a lot in class even with the heater on, that’s when I saw that your scarves were already thin and worn. That’s why I chose a particularly thick one so it would keep you warm during the winter season,” Kiibo explained. “There’s actually more. Take the scarf out of the box.”

“Huh? Um...okay,” Ouma felt a little awkward for not being able to express his gratitude, but did as he was told. But as soon as he discovered what was hidden under the monochrome scarf, he froze. In bold white and black, the words: Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc stared back at his awed face. “T-this is--!”

He lifted the CD case, and discovered that there was another game hidden under it: Super Danganronpa 2: Farewell Despair Academy. He felt himself tear up. Underneath that CD were the other 2 Danganronpa games that he never got to chance to play since he couldn’t afford it. A scarf and all 4 installments of a game he absolutely loved. He feels so blessed right now.

He wiped his tears with a sleeve, far too overwhelmed with emotion. “T-thank you so much, Iidabashi-kun…!” he sobbed. “I--I don’t know what else to say. I’m sorry for crying...”

Kiibo gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. “I knew how much you loved this franchise, so...”

“W-wait,” Ouma hastily wiped his tears before looking him in the eye. “You--you should open your gift too. I wasn’t able to wrap it properly since I only got it yesterday, sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Kiibo flashed him a smile before moving to sit beside him. “Even if it wasn’t wrapped. I already know how hard you worked to buy this gift, and I’m grateful for that.”

When he opened the bag, he was surprised to find books inside it. His curiosity was piqued when he saw the familiar cover of Natsume Souseki’s, “I am a Cat.” The cover of the books were all protected by a plastic cover in order for it to withstand the elements.

“All of the books there are written by Natsume Souseki-sensei. I know you’ve read ‘I am a Cat’ from our school library before, but I figured that maybe you wanted to keep your own copy too,” Ouma averted his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck as he explained.

Kiibo’s immediate reaction was to hug the raven-haired teen. “Thank you...thank you!”

Upon noticing that their classmates were already eyeing them out of curiosity and mild amusement, Ouma patted the albino on the back. “You’re welcome, Iidabashi-kun. U-um...everyone’s watching us.” He gasped when the taller teen gave him a squeeze before pulling away.

“I’m sorry about my behavior, I...” Kiibo hugged the gift bag to his chest. “I will cherish these forever.”

“Mm~mm! It must be fate that they drew each other’s names for the exchange,” Yonaga nodded. “It’s quite perfect too, since they already know what gift would make their partner smile.”

Ouma wrapped his new scarf around his neck and tugged it upwards to hide the lower half of his face, his embarrassment only magnified from the attention he’s getting.

Toujou disrupted the awkward atmosphere with two claps. “Everyone, it’s already 8:25 pm. I already called the front desk and dinner should be served shortly. In the meantime, you may continue singing if you wish to do so.”

“Wow, this place serves dinner too? How high class...” Akamatsu trailed off.

“Aka-chan!”

The blonde pianist jolted in her seat at the sudden address. “Y-yes, Shiro-chan?”

The bespectacled blunette pointed at the second microphone perched on the table, “Pick that up, we’re doing this.”

Akamatsu gasped. “No way. You mean--”

“You. Me. And _Suki Desu ga Suki Desu ka,_ ” Shirogane grinned as she pressed start. Akamatsu hurried out of her seat to join the other girl on stage. The two girls then proceeded to rock out to more Love Live songs while waiting for dinner to arrive.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------

 

“You didn’t have to walk me to my house. Your father is…”

“He won’t mind waiting in the car. I wanted to make sure that you actually get in your house,” Kiibo smiled. “How’s the scarf?”

Ouma’s cheeks took on a more rosy color as his face shyly sank into the checkered scarf, “It’s very warm...thank you again for this. And for dropping me home too.” He slowly pushed the door open.

“You’re welcome--ah.”

“Mmh? Is something the matter?” Ouma tilted his head in confusion.

“It seems...Yumeno-san’s curse is the real thing,” Kiibo let out an amused huff as he pointed at the door frame. There it was again, the infamous mistletoe. “Well, we don’t have to conform to the tradition. It’s not like we’ll get penalized either so it’s--”

_Chu!_

Kiibo’s brain short-circuited at the sensation of the other teen’s lips on his cheek.

Ouma hid behind his door, face now as red as a beet’s as he bid the albino a good night before shutting the door as silently as he could in his currently giddy and embarrassed state.

.

…

…..

_Rrriiiiing!_

Kiibo absentmindedly took his phone out of his pocket and answered the call.

_“Kiibo? Is something wrong? You’re taking a while--”_

“I’m fine. I’ll...be there in a moment. Yes.” He ended the call before his father could respond.

Fifteen minutes later, Iidabashi had to personally come pick his son up from the Ouma residence when it didn’t seem like he’d be returning to the car any time soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saihara's singing "As You Like It" by Eve. It's in italics because it's the English translation.


	8. Run, Run, Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Headcanon: "Kokichi loves baking gingerbread men and gingerbread houses on Christmas, and that Kiibo has never understood why. Later Kokichi reveals that the reason is because he used to make them with his older brother, who he doesn't get to see that much anymore, and it reminds him of the time when they were younger."

Humans are fond of asking strange questions in the hopes of getting a glimpse of how other humans view them. One such example would be, “If you were food, what would you be?”

“I think Ouma-kun would definitely be an eggplant,” Yumeno declares. “It’s purple, and its name is misleading--a lie! Eggs are not long and purple, yet it’s called an eggplant.”

Kiibo somehow found himself trapped in such a discussion. And since Ouma wasn’t around, they were the ones trying to find a fitting food that best describes the supreme leader.

“Actually Yumeno-san, it’s called an eggplant because in its earlier stages, the plant clearly resembles an egg before growing elongated and turning purple. That’s how it got its name,” everyone stared at the robot, who never spoke during the discussion until now. “Though I agree with you, it does resemble Ouma-kun to some extent. Like how it seems like it’s deceiving people, when in truth, it’s just hiding its honesty.”

“Honesty? _Him?_ I seriously don’t understand how you could see something pure like that in a degenerate male like Ouma-kun,” Chabashira huffed. “I thought you of all people would know how terrible he is since he targets you the most.”

“I suppose that’s precisely why I can say that much about Ouma-kun since he hangs around me frequently,” Kiibo resisted the urge to roll his eyes. _‘You noticed such a detail yet you didn’t do anything to assist me.’_

“What’s this, what’s this? Am I being summoned?” Ouma popped from behind the android, grinning when the latter almost fell off his seat from shock. “Man, you guys really can’t go one day without calling my name, huh~”

“Ugh...speak of the Devil...” groaned the magician.

“Don’t you dare pull any more of your nasty shit, twerp!” Iruma pointed an accusatory finger at the newcomer.

“Oh wooow, pot calling kettle black. At least my entire existence isn’t a crime against the universe like yours is!” Ouma sneered at the inventor with disgust.

“Y-you didn’t have to put it that waaaay--!!!” whined the blonde.

“Knock it off Ouma, you just got here and you’re already pissing everyone off!” Momota slammed his hands on the table.

Ouma tapped his chin, smiling such an innocent and sugary sweet smile that would no doubt trick anyone who didn’t know him. “How are you so sure that that’s what everyone else is feeling, Momota-chan? Stop assuming everyone shares the same opinion as you all the time!”

“Now, now, let’s not fight,” Akamatsu raised two placating hands. “It’s almost Christmas after all--”

“Pfft, Christmas? What are you acting all goody-goody for exactly, Akamatsu-chan?” Ouma tilted his head to the side playfully. “...Is it Santa? How embarrassing! You’re already a high schooler but you still believe in a big faker like Santa Claus?”

“N-no, that’s not--”

“Alright, that’s it! C’mere!” The astronaut got out of his seat and charged his way towards the supreme leader’s general direction.

“Uwaaah! Momota-chan’s turned into a BULL-Y!!!”

“Ghhrk! I’m not a bull OR a bully! I’m Momota Kaito, Luminary of the Stars!!!”

“So you keep saying ad nauseam. Don’t you have other voice lines? Then again, I guess I can’t expect too much from a side character! Nishishi~!”

“Who you calling side character?! _I’m_ the hero!”

Kiibo observed his two classmates run around the limited space of the dining hall until Ouma eventually got bored of the chase and decided to run out the exit that led outside of the school building, leaving Momota tired and out of breath.

“Idiot,” Harukawa uttered under her breath before heading out the other door.

“Hey!” huffed the astronaut.

Once the commotion had settled, everyone left the dining hall one by one, unknowingly leaving behind their robotic classmate, not that the latter minded. Kiibo leaned against his seat, closing his eyes.

“If they asked me, I’d say that Ouma-kun resembled a gingerbread man more,” he murmured to himself. “...Small, fragile, yet proud and untouchable.”

 

\-- _[Run, Run, Run, as fast as you can. You’ll never catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!] --_

 

Usually, Kiibo spent nights cooped up in his room just reading the books he retrieved from the school library. His learning is composed of developing his social skills through his everyday interactions with his peers, and the other one pertains to diligent studying through research. However, he was feeling rather rebellious tonight, that’s why he decided to take a tour around the school instead. In the day, he frequently finds himself getting swept along his classmates’ pace, so he never really had the time to just roam around and observe the environment on his own. That’s one of the advantages of being incapable of sleep, he supposes.

He was blindly following the path that led to the dining hall after making his rounds in the courtyard.

“Hm?” He carefully climbed the steps and noticed that light was spilling from the cracks of the door. _‘Is someone in the dining hall? What could they possibly be doing up this late?’_

The android silently pushed the door open so as not to alarm the room’s occupant, and was surprised to find no one in the room. He shut the door behind him just as silently as he had opened it and walked towards the middle of the room. That was when he heard the sound of metal against metal. Perhaps a whisk lightly scraping against a bowl?

 _‘In the kitchen, huh...’_ Kiibo carefully made his way towards the kitchen. He opened the door just a crack, and was surprised to find the supreme leader whisking a white mixture with practiced ease.

His hair was pulled back in a small ponytail and his bangs were kept out of his face by a set of white barrettes. Instead of his usual tattered white gakuran or his pajamas, Ouma was wearing a plain white shirt, a pair of black basketball shorts, and a light blue apron to keep the mess off of his apparel as he whisked away.

“Get in and close the door, it’s bothering me,” Kiibo hit his face against the door from shock. He was being completely stealthy, yet somehow he got found out anyway.

“S-sorry...” murmured the android as he entered the kitchen. “How did you know I was here?”

“I felt like I was being watched,” Ouma made a show of tapping the white and fluffy mixture out of the whisk before continuing. “Also, I saw you walk out the dorms earlier. I knew you were the only one out there gallivanting around the campus while everyone’s asleep.”

“I wasn’t _gallivanting,_ I was taking a stroll,” huffed Kiibo. “What are you doing in the kitchen this late at night? Preparing a late night snack?”

“I suppose you can call it that. It’s actually meant to be a surprise, but you ruined it the moment you entered the kitchen. Then again, you can’t exactly read the atmosphere since you’re just a robot.” The supreme leader moved to pour the white mixture into separate and smaller bowls evenly. “Anyway, since you’re already here, you might as well give me a hand instead of standing around being all useless.”

“You didn’t have to be so rude about it,” Kiibo frowned, but made his way towards the shorter teen regardless of the other teen’s robophobic statement. “...What do you want me to do, exactly?”

“Print photos of our classmates.”

“What for?”

Ouma raised his head from his task of mixing purple food coloring in one of the small bowls and rolled his eyes. “Gee, Kiiboy, I wonder what? What could I _possibly_ need our classmates' ugly mugshots at 2 am, some bowls of thick icing and a bunch of food coloring for?”

Kiibo wanted to call him out for his rude behavior, but that was when he noticed that there was tray of faceless gingerbread men and women on Ouma’s left. “... _Oh.”_

The supreme leader snorted before covering the purple icing with plastic wrap and moved on to the next bowl. “Good to see that you’re not as dumb as you look.”

“I take offense to that!” Kiibo crossed his arms in indignation. “Anyway...I don’t need to print a photo of you, correct?”

“Yeah.”

“Got it.”

_Whirrrrrr._

Out comes a clear photo of Chabashira, Yumeno, and Yonaga meditating inside the aikido master’s dojo from the android’s lips. “Here. I thought it would be more efficient to take photos of my memory where more of our classmates would fit in the frame.”

Ouma let out a whistle, “So you really _can_ be useful when you put your mind to it. Good job. Anyway, place it where I can see it so I can mix the colors right.”

Truth be told, the unexpected praise from the trouble making supreme leader took him off guard and made him feel rather conscious of himself. He looked away in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. “Alright.”

He moved to the other side of the counter and placed the photo right in front of his companion, but not too close to the bowls so as not to dirty it. He started printing more photos while watching Ouma mix more colors into the bowls he had laid out.

“You’re not going to just run out of batteries after printing everything, right?” Ouma lifted his eyes for a moment before going back to mix blue food coloring in the icing.

“Of course not. I have long since optimized my energy efficiency after I--”

“After your batteries died while climbing up the stairs?” Ouma snickered as he was reminded of the day where everyone found the robot passed out by the dormitory staircase while making a ridiculous yet inhumanly possible pose.

“...Yes. That. Let’s never speak of that again,” Kiibo shuddered at the shameful memory. “A-anyway, what I mean is, using my functions will no longer take up too much of my power like before.”

“Great! Then that means you can help me load these piping bags with these suckers,” Ouma grinned as he lifted a bowl of colored icing. “You gotta be quick though, this thing hardens like concrete.”

Kiibo wasn’t really well-versed with cooking or baking, so it took him a while to get a hang of filling the piping bags with icing without getting some on his fingers. He thought the supreme leader would mock him for his clumsiness, but it seems like Ouma was completely focused with the task. It didn’t take them too long to finish, thankfully.

“Gimme your hand.” Ouma beckoned the android with a hand.

“Huh?” Kiibo stared at him in confusion, his ahoge curling into a question mark to reflect his curiosity.

Ouma rolled his eyes before pulling the robot’s hand to his mouth and licked the icing off his fingers.

“I don’t like wasting ingredients.” Was what he said before directing his attention to the tray of gingerbread, not even giving the albino time to process what had happened.

 _‘W-what was that all about?!’_ Kiibo inwardly screamed as he inspected his hand.

“Hey! Earth to Kiiboy, work’s not over!” Ouma easily dragged the android back to the present with his usual demanding tone. “I intend to work you down to your last percent for ruining the surprise.”

“Y-you’re saying that as if I did it on purpose,” Kiibo grumbled. “I didn’t even expect that you would be the one inside the kitchen. I wasn’t aware that you were skilled with baking either.”

“Mmmm… Not really,” Ouma hummed as he passed him a macaroon yellow piping bag. “I’m not good at baking in general. I only learned how to bake gingerbread because of family.”

Aquamarine lenses lit up with interest. “Family?”

“Nope. I’m not going to say anything more until you start decorating,” Ouma stuck out a tongue as he waved a white bag. “That said, you handle the girls, and I handle the guys.”

Kiibo stared down at the piping bag in his hand before nodding. “Fair enough.”

 

\-- _[I ran from the baker and his wife too. You’ll never catch me, not any of you.]_ \--

 

Decorating gingerbread men, or in his case, _women,_ was surprisingly fun and fulfilling. With the photos as his guide, it was as if he were giving life to a coloring book. And seeing his classmate’s faces staring up at him with a pleasant smile somehow made him feel warm in its metaphorical sense.

“Mmm, that looks impressive coming from a newbie,” Kiibo met the other teen’s gaze, eyes wide from mild surprise. “Have you seen gingerbread men somewhere before? I thought that since you were a robot, you’d try to copy the photo exactly as you see it.”

“Oh, um…” the albino found himself looking at the tiny Akamatsu on the tray before responding. “Back when I was still in the developing stages--a child, so to speak, the Professor would leave the television on a kids’ channel for me to watch while he worked on his other projects. It just so happened that one of the songs that played for me was the Gingerbread Man.”

“Heeeh, is that so?” Ouma moved to grab a green piping bag. “So you learned things appropriate to your ‘age’ just like a human.”

“Yes. My development was purposefully modeled after a human child’s. Though the only difference is that I was able to walk as soon as I was active,” Kiibo smiled, pleased that he was finally able to have a decent conversation with the other boy. He set the piping bag on the counter since he was already finished with his own batch. “Hey, Ouma-kun.”

“Mmm? What is it?” the supreme leader still had his eyes on his handiwork, decorating the gingerbread men with utmost precision.

“...About your family...is it okay for me to ask about them?” Kiibo fidgeted, ahoge drooping nervously.

Ouma paused to glance at Kiibo’s tray before heaving out a resigned sigh. “Eh, you did your work. So I don’t see why not. What about them do you want to hear?”

“Umm...I hope I’m not being rude by saying this, but...” Kiibo averted his eyes before continuing. “I’ve actually heard from the others that you were actually orphaned, so...”

The android flinched when the shorter teen suddenly threw an empty piping bag against the counter. But despite this, his voice remained calm when he spoke. “You mean since I’m orphaned, I wouldn’t have a family to speak of right?”

“...Y-yes...” Kiibo found himself staring at the ground, wondering if he’d triggered a mine.

“Technically you’re right. But let me tell you something--family isn’t restricted to blood relations. You should know this by now, since you’re a robot,” Ouma puffed his chest. “Yeah. I'm an orphan. But everyone in the orphanage was my family. Just like how you and your Professor are family too.”

Kiibo’s eyes widened with awe. That’s right. He and Professor Iidabashi...they are family. He’s referred to him as his father from time to time, but called him by his title out of respect. Perhaps...he should start calling him as ‘father’ more frequently.

“...That being said, I really _do_ have a family...now, at least,” Ouma turned his head to flash the android a rare sincere smile. “I got adopted by a baker. Their son--my older brother, I guess, taught me how to bake gingerbread houses and gingerbread men since that was the only thing he knew how to bake well at the time. It was his way of bonding with me I suppose.”

“Oh!” gasped the android. “How are they like? Your family?”

“They’re good people. I like them.” Ouma hummed, tapping a finger against his chin. “Big brother was kinda annoying though. Whenever it was Christmas, he would annoy me until I finally agreed to bake some gingerbread with him.”

“So it has become some sort of a family tradition,” Kiibo smiled. “...I’m glad that you were taken in by such a loving family, Ouma-kun.”

Ouma looked away in an attempt to hide his blushing face. “S-shut up. I wasn’t joking about big brother being annoying, you know! Always talking about baking and studying abroad to improve his skills...”

“Where is he right now?”

“...France,” Ouma set another piping bag on the counter, gently this time. “Would you believe that? He actually went abroad to study more baking techniques just like he wanted.”

…

….

The supreme leader suddenly grabbed the hem of his apron to hide his tears. “We...we haven’t baked together in a long time. It’s annoying. But I actually missed it. Those annoying days...”

Kiibo hastily searched for the roll of paper towel Ouma had prepared earlier and pulled two sheets from it, which he handed the supreme leader. “Ouma-kun, here...”

The raven-haired Ultimate simply nodded his thanks and dabbed his eyes with the paper towel. Kiibo wasn’t sure how to react in this situation, so all he could do was rub comforting circles on his classmate’s back as he cried. It took a couple of minutes for Ouma’s crying to die down. He left the android’s side in favor of washing his face by the sink in order to hide the evidence of his vulnerability.

“You saw nothing.”

Kiibo nodded. “I didn’t.”

Ouma flashed him an appreciative smile before re-tying his hair. “Anyway, enough of that sappy talk. We still have a house to assemble. Let’s get working!”

As he listened to the leader’s instructions, Kiibo couldn’t help but smile to himself. He’s gotten to understand more about him...their class’s very own gingerbread man.

 

\-- _[They were all hungry and ready to eat, but the gingerbread man was quick on his feet.]_ \--

 

“Huh? Isn’t this...me?” Akamatsu regarded the miniature version of herself, which was standing by the gingerbread house. “The attention to detail is amazing…!”

“Ah, Gonta’s here too!” the entomologist cheered.

“Ku ku ku...It seems everyone is here,” Shinguuji chuckled. “Wonderful, truly wonderful!”

When everyone entered the dining hall, they were surprised to find the gingerbread display on the table. They couldn’t help but crowd around it with wonder and amusement as they admired the accuracy of the gingerbread men and women’s designs.

“Did you prepare this, Toujou-san?” Amami turned to look at the maid, who was standing just behind him.

“That’s…”

“Uwaaah! What’s this? Gingerbread?!” Ouma boisterously barged into the room, eyes sparkling with delight. “Toujou-chan made this didn’t she? I don’t think anyone else here can cook besides her!”

Toujou regarded the supreme leader with a neutral look before bowing slightly. “...Yes. Since it is almost Christmas, I believed that preparing gingerbread for everyone would fulfill everyone’s wishes of having an enjoyable Christmas.”

“As expected of the Ultimate Maid! Only _she’s_ capable of pulling this off!” Ouma praised.

His smile widened when Toujou offered him another bow. “It is my pleasure to serve.”

It was probably unhealthy, but they decided to just have gingerbread for breakfast and warm cocoa or milk to go with it. Kiibo, who was unable to eat, found himself staring back at his smaller, more edible version in interest.

“Toujou-chan’s really nice, huh! She even baked you one even though you can’t eat~” Ouma took a bite out of his gingerbread version’s leg as he sat himself beside the lone robot. “Or maybe that’s actually more cruel. Giving you something that’s meant to be eaten, yet you couldn’t eat.”

“I can at least enjoy its scent,” Kiibo huffed. “The smooth blend of spices and sweetness...it’s quite pleasant.”

Ouma shook his head, “Stop. You’re making me feel bad.”

“I didn’t mean to put it that way,” Kiibo rolled his eyes. “Though I would appreciate it if you could explain to me how eating this feels like.”

“Mmm...” Ouma mercilessly bit off his gingerbread counterpart’s head this time with a crunch. “Although it breaks off with a loud crunch, it’s actually pretty chewy--melts in your mouth too. As soon as you open your mouth, you just get hit with the spices, and the more you chew the sweeter it gets. You can taste the spices but it’s not spicy at all.”

“Thank you for your input.” The android nodded, taking in the information. “Umm... why did you lie about it earlier?”

“Wow, I wasn’t aware that we were playing 20 questions, I’m leaving--”

“ _Ouma-kun._ ”

The supreme leader blinked once, twice, before heaving out an exasperated sigh.

“...I ordered Toujou-chan to help me hide the gingerbread dough while I had it cool overnight over the past few days before I was able to bake it last night,” Ouma popped the remaining body parts of his gingerbread self in his mouth. “No one would eat it if they found out I was the one who made it, after all.”

“Oh…”

“Mmhm! Besides, it’s more entertaining this way,” Ouma yawned. “And needless to say, if you dare speak a soul about this, I’ll have you assassinated by my men.”

“There’s no need to go to that extent,” frowned Kiibo. “If you wanted me to keep it as a secret, then all you have to do is ask.” He passed his gingerbread to the sleepy supreme leader to represent the metaphorical olive branch.

“You’re giving me your share?” Ouma regarded the android with amusement. “Not the others, but _me?”_

“You’re already here anyway. I don’t see the need to go anywhere else,” Kiibo shrugged. “And although I can’t eat this, I still appreciate that you took the time to make one for me.”

“Mmm, is that so?” Ouma nibbled on the cookie’s ahoge. “It’s actually quite rude to return gifts, you know. Well, since you’re a robot, I guess it can’t be helped. There’s one thing you can do to show me how grateful you are, though! I’ll let you guess what it is~” He completely bit off the ahoge, giving the android a mischievous smile.

“O-oh! Yes, you’re right,” Kiibo shifted into a more erect sitting position and gave a small bow, smiling as he said: “Thank you, Ouma-kun.”

   
\-- _[And that was the end of the Gingerbread Man]_ \--

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Rrrrrring! Rrrrrrrrrriiiing!!_
> 
>  
> 
> Click.
> 
>  _"Kiibo? Did you need something?"_  
>     
> Hearing the Professor's voice on the line made his metaphorical heart swell with gratitude and adoration.
> 
> "F...father," Kiibo's grip on the phone tightened, willing his blush to go away lest he gets caught. "I've called to greet you a Merry Christmas." His forehead creased with worry when the line went silent. "Father...?"
> 
> "...M-Merry Christmas, _son."_
> 
> Kiibo stood in a more confident manner and wore a wide smile. He and his father ended up having a long conversation, with Kiibo just sharing his experiences the past few days with his only family. Iidabashi on the other line was resisting the urge to cry as he listened to his son speak with much excitement.


	9. Naughty and Nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "How about a Nightmare before Christmas AU?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update!

After the fiasco involving Jack Skellington, Santa, and Oogey Boogie, balance was restored in Christmas Town and in Halloween Town. The Pumpkin King had sincerely apologized for his actions, and Santa Claus was a kind fellow who forgave him without a second thought. This event was what sparked an unusual friendship between the two figureheads of their respective Towns. And such friendship, had transmitted to their younger successors.

Santa had retired after a century and had chosen one of his elves to take his place, while Jack Skellington had found joy with Sally and decided that living a peaceful life with her and his pet Zero without the pressure of leading the townspeople would be a far more fulfilling way to end his reign. He had selected the most fearsome and capable devil of Halloween Town to fill in his shoes.

Whenever it snows in Halloween Town, everyone knows that ‘Santa’ has come to meet with their Pumpkin King. It had already become a norm for the new Santa to visit the new Pumpkin King for a chat or a light snack before going on his merry way back home.

The new Santa was just as kind as the previous one, although he’s more outspoken and can be assertive whenever the situation called for it. While the new Pumpkin King was more mischievous than refined, he had still somehow managed to obtain the obedience and admiration of his townspeople. Despite their differences, the two enjoyed each other’s company the most. Probably an effect of having their respective Holidays situated so close to each other, and not just because of the incident that affected their predecessors.

“Is it just me or did you get taller again?” the new Pumpkin King grumbled as he tapped his fingers against their usual table reserved for their meetings. “I think I preferred it better when you used to reach up to my waist only.”

“Ah, I didn’t really notice--”

“That answer makes it more annoying!” the devil slammed a fist against the furniture in indignation.

“It’s not like I have a control over it anyway,” Santa sighed as he made his way towards the raven-haired King. “I only started aging normally after inheriting Santa’s abilities, you know. Also, if I stayed in my original form, doing my job would be difficult for me.”

“That makes sense, but doesn’t mean I like it!”

“Now, now, don’t be in such a bad mood. I brought you some sugar cookies since Teruteru accidentally baked too many,” the former elf, Kiibo, flashed the devil a smile as he slid into the seat opposite of the latter. “You can share them with your people too if you want to.”

“Sugar cookies?!” purple eyes sparkled with delight. “Gimme! Gimme!”

Ouma, the new Pumpkin King, simply adored sweets in all shapes and sizes. And Christmas treats, as he had discovered, were sweeter and came in varied forms and flavors. While candy was something he enjoyed in exchange for a night of scares, it was the texture of soft cakes and chewy cookies that had him dying for more.

“Now, now, there’s more than enough for everyone here. You don’t need to eat so fast,” Kiibo sighed.

“They’re too good! I can’t stop myself~” Ouma happily bit on another cookie. “You should have some too. It feels weird if I’m the only one eating.”

“Ah, I shouldn’t,” the albino shook his head. “It’s almost Christmas, I have to make sure I have the appetite to eat every single cookie the children would prepare for me.”

“Hmmm….I see,” the raven-haired devil paused to quench his thirst with blackberry tea. “You’re working a lot harder than the previous Santa. Not saying he was lazy buuuuut…you get what I mean.”

“You think so…? This is going to be my 2nd Christmas as Santa, so I'm still not used to this job,” Kiibo rubbed the back of his neck. “As an elf, I've always had my hands full. Now that I'm Santa, a lot of my usual workload is gone and I feel restless if I'm not working.”

“Isn’t that just fine?” Ouma rested his face against a palm, regarding the albino with a knowing smile. “But if you really insist, then how about playing a game with _moi?_ That should keep you busy enough! Especially if you’re going against _me_ of all ghouls! Nishishi~!”

Kiibo regarded the devil with an inquisitive look before nodding. “I...suppose a few games won’t hurt. What games do you have in mind?”

Ouma’s eyes sparkled brightly as he got out of his seat, “A _lot!_ Come on! _”_

It was an unusual friendship between an icon who spreads cheer, and an icon who spreads fear.

 

\----------------------------------------------------

 

Ouma impatiently tapped his fingers on the table.

It has been a year and a half, and Kiibo hasn’t dropped by his place like he usually would.

“Hoshi.”

Ripples started appearing on the pond just beyond his porch as a short and half-eaten man emerged from it. A piranha was hanging precariously from one of his ribs as he trudged his way towards the devil. “What is it?”

“Did I do something to scare Kiiboy away?” Ouma’s brows furrowed. “I’m not too sure if I did.”

“...Kiiboy? Don’t know who that is,” the shorter male moved to sit on the porch stairs.

“Oh, right,” the devil moved to lean against his seat. “...I meant Santa. I’m asking you since all you do is float around in your pond so maybe you noticed something I somehow didn’t.”

“Ah, the newbie,” the boney man mused before tossing the piranha back into the pond. “Not really. Pretty sure the guy’s used to you being you. Seems at home in Halloween Town too. What a weird one.”

“Right? That’s what I thought too,” Ouma frowned, tapping his fingers against the table a little louder. “This happened for a couple of weeks when we first met after I scared him on the first day. But it doesn’t make sense why he suddenly decided not to come see me, _now!”_

“How about you go and see _him_ for a change?” Hoshi shrugged. “If he can find the time to visit you, then surely you can do the same for him. If you still can’t get your head wrapped around it, then you still have a ways to go, Pumpkin King.”

Ouma paused from his tapping to think. “...I’ll think about it.”

The shorter man nodded as he got up from his seat on the stairs. “If there’s nothing more to talk about, I’m heading back to my place.”

“There’s nothing more~ You can go back,” Ouma waved a hand, his tail whipped against the floor as he did so. Once his companion disappeared back into the pond, the devil slumped over his table. Far too bored without his usual tea time companion. “...Mmm...I guess it’s about time I pay the old man a visit.”

He slipped out of his seat and stretched his limbs with a pop before leaving his abode.

 

\----------------------------------------------------

 

“Enter Christmas Town?!” Jack gasped. “Haven’t I forbidden you to entertain such a thought?”

“I know, I know,” Ouma grumbled, stuffing an ear with a finger. “You already told me that story for like a hundred times--I know what happened.”

Jack paced across his living room, “I specifically instructed you to never set foot in Christmas Town to prevent history from repeating itself!”

“I’m not planning to go there and play Grinch, you know. I’m educated enough about Christmas to not kidnap him just for a taste of the holiday, you can thank Kii--I mean Santa, for that,” The devil’s tail flicked upwards as he shrugged. “There’s nothing to worry about. I only wanted to visit a friend.”

The skeletal man paused in his tracks, back straightening. “...A friend, you say?”

“Yeah.”

“And who exactly _is_ this friend of yours?” Jack circled the shorter being.

“It’s Santa. I think that’s pretty obvious since I never left Halloween Town,” Ouma shrugged.

“Santa…!” Jack huffed in amusement. “I see, I see now. Santa. Your friend is Santa. I suppose it only makes sense...it _has_ been snowing quite frequently in Halloween Town for the past year.”

“So...does that mean…?” the devil’s tail wagged with anticipation.

“Yes. I shall permit you to enter Christmas Town, no, I _encourage_ you to do so!” Jack raised his arms with a flourish. “To befriend Santa...not even I had thought of such a possibility. However, you are only permitted to strengthen the good relations of Christmas Town and Halloween Town and nothing more. Understood?”

“I understand,” Ouma resisted the urge to grin. No way he’s going to do something as pathetic as _smile_ in front of the former Pumpkin King.

“Good! I’ll have Zero guide you to Santa’s workshop,” Jack gave him a friendly pat on the back. “Now run along, my boy! Time’s a-wasting.”

\--This was pretty much how the devil found himself walking through the forest with only his predecessor's pet dog to guide him. Zero paused in his tracks and circled the devil once and tilted his head.

“Are you worried that I’m feeling cold?” Ouma found himself smiling.

The dog barked its affirmative with enthusiasm.

The raven-haired devil tapped the dog’s jack o’ lantern nose fondly. “Don’t worry. I’m used to it since Santa visited often. Thanks for worrying though, Zero.”

Zero barked once more and wagged his ghostly ‘tail’ before resuming his task as the tour guide.

They eventually left the dark forest home to his beloved Halloween Town, and ended up in a brighter forest surrounded with greater trees that were marked with symbols. He didn’t recognize any of the symbols except for one. One that his dear friend always brought along with him in the form of a sugary sweet tree.

“That must be Christmas Town, huh!” Ouma mused, grinning at the enthusiastic ghost dog. Without further ado, they entered the great tree bearing the symbol of an embellished Christmas Tree. Locating Santa’s workshop was a cinch with Zero’s guidance, which made the devil thankful of his predecessor’s foresight.

Ouma straightened his back before giving the door three knocks. What he didn’t expect to happen once the door opened was to have a midget scream in horror just from the mere sight of him and promptly slamming the door in his face.

“Well, I already knocked, so...” Ouma shrugged before opening a portal inside the workshop, whilst Zero simply floated through the door. He was met with more screaming by a hundred pointy-eared midgets.

“MONSTER!!!”

“I’ll take that as a compliment!” the devil grinned, making sure to show them his too sharp teeth. “Now which one of you shall I eat first?”

An elf fainted, making the devil snicker.

“What’s with the ruckus?”

Ouma’s head perked up at the sound of his dear friend’s voice. “Kii-- _Santa~!”_

“...Ouma? What are you…” the silver haired man waded through the crowd of quivering elves and approached the devil. “What brings you here?”

“Y-you know this m-monster, Mr. Claus?” Mikan stuttered.

Kiibo gave the elf a gentle pat on the head before redirecting his attention to the devil. “Well?”

“Is it so wrong for me to come visit my _dearest_ friend?” Ouma’s tail flicked in a haughty manner. “It’s not like I was _worried_ that I was _left behind_ , for I don’t know... _about a year and a half?”_

Guilt struck the platinum blonde upon processing what his Halloween counterpart had just said. “I’m...sorry. I didn’t mean to stop visiting you. Especially with Mr. Skellington forbidding you from coming here...”

Ouma quirked a brow at his friend’s last statement. “So you knew about that, huh. I guess that’s why you were confident that I wouldn’t be able to look for you once you stopped dropping by. You knew that I keep all my promises, especially the one I made to the old man.

“And yet you’re here,” Kiibo murmured.

The devil shrugged, flashing the scared elves a toothy grin. “He let me go as soon as I said that I wanted to visit my friend. That’s you, by the way.”

The albino glanced at the elves surrounding them before grabbing the devil by the wrist. “Let’s take this somewhere private. Everyone, please take a break first.”

“Huh? W-will you be okay, Mr. Claus?” Mikan fidgeted in her place. “Shouldn’t you be resting too?”

Kiibo smiled, “Yes. I’ll just be spending my break with Ouma. If you’ll excuse us...” he began tugging the raven-haired devil to the direction of his office. Zero simply followed them from behind, dedicated to his task of watching over the Pumpkin King.

“...You look tired, Kiibo,” was the first thing the devil said as soon as the albino shut the door behind them.

“Is it really that obvious?” Kiibo blinked, pressing a hand against his cheek. “...I...didn’t mean to stop visiting you. Things have been quite hectic around here in Christmas Town as of late.”

Ouma quirked a brow at this, “Isn’t it always hectic? You’re delivering gifts to the whole world after all.”

The albino raked a hand through his hair. “It’s not just that…Something has been going on as of late...if you want to know what I mean, you can take a look at the scrolls on my desk.”

The devil glanced at the holiday icon before doing as he was told. “Oh? The Nice List. What about it?”

“Take a look at the Naughty List.”

Ouma reached for the aforesaid list and was astounded with how it outstretched all over the room like magic. “...Woah.”

Kiibo nodded, “The number of naughty children had significantly skyrocketed over the course of one year.”

“I don’t see the issue though. Don’t you give the naughty ones coal as part of your procedure?” Ouma rolled the scroll back and returned it to its rightful place atop his friend’s desk.

Kiibo pursed his lips before slipping out of his red coat and rolled his dress shirt’s sleeve upwards to reveal burn marks on his otherwise pristine white skin. Ouma tensed at the sight of the injury, eyeing his friend’s facial expression.

“Last year, a child was awake and caught me filling his sock with coal. He threw a fit, saying that he deserved a present just like any other child. He ended up tossing his mug full of hot chocolate at me,” the albino let out a dry laugh. “Afterwards he called me a sham, saying that I’m not the Santa he sees on television. And concluded that that’s why I ‘mistakenly’ gave him coal instead of a proper gift. I only got out of the situation thanks to the knockout dust Miu gave me beforehand. I was unable to move my arm properly after that night, but I’ve started regaining my usual mobility recently.”

Ouma’s features softened at the sight of the albino struggling to hold his tears back. He knew how much Kiibo adored his Santa, so he simply wanted to live up to his role and to make his predecessor proud. To be called a sham is…

“How many of these children hurt you?” Ouma schooled a more serious expression. Not pleased with the new information bestowed upon him at all.

“Ah, the others are quite manageable, they only set booby traps which are actually easy to avoid,” Kiibo rolled his sleeves downwards. “The child won’t remember about meeting me anyway; it’s one of the side-effects of the knockout dust.”

“That’s even worse,” Ouma clicked his tongue as he sauntered towards the albino, grabbing the latter’s right hand by the wrist. “It would only mean that something like _this_ will happen to you again.”

Kiibo looked down, slowly tugging his hand out of the devil’s hold. “...Then what do you want me to do? I can’t let something like this stop me from delivering presents. I don’t...I don’t want to become an even bigger failure than I--”

“Alright, shut up,” Ouma pressed a finger against the albino’s lips. “First of all, you didn't fail. And second of all, who said anything about stopping your delivery?” He grinned.

Kiibo’s head perked up. “...What are you planning?”

The last thing he saw from the devil was his trademark smirk before what stood before him was no longer his friend but a carbon copy of himself.

“O-Ouma?”

“Relax, I’m not going to lock you up and steal your job. I’m just going to handle the naughty ones,” Ouma, despite taking on Santa’s appearance, retained his tail to make them easily distinguishable. “Naughty is my specialty, after all.” He winked.

“You’re not going to hurt them, are you…?” Kiibo’s brows knitted together in worry. “They may be naughty, but they’re still children! A devil like you--”

“You worry too much,” Ouma huffed. “The old man won’t let anyone hostile become his successor you know. If you can’t have faith in me, then at least have faith in my predecessor.”

Kiibo looked into the same clear blue eyes he had known all his life before nodding. “...No. I trust you. I’m sorry for doubting you just now.”

Ouma grinned, puffing his chest proudly. “You’re going to have to tell me how you do your thing though. Just so I’ll know where to draw the line.”

“Alright. But...can you...change back?” Kiibo rubbed an arm nervously. “It feels a little strange talking to myself.”

“Oh! Sure thing~” with a literal snap of his fingers, Ouma reverted back to his original appearance. “Anyway, educate me Santa.”

The albino huffed a laugh, finally able to relax after months of tense work. He should have visited his friend sooner instead of carrying all of the burden on his own. “Have a seat. This would take a while.”

 

x x x Ho Ho Ho x x x

 

A child armed with a nerf gun tiptoed his way to the living room, making sure he’s as low as possible so he wouldn’t get caught. He wanted to prove to his friends that he could handle staying up all night without fearing the consequences of Santa being upset with him. Besides, he had plenty of proof that his father was just playing the role to appease him. Or piss him off, considering the amount of coal he got over the years.

Sure enough, he saw a tall silhouette instead of the usually marketed image of Santa as a fat and jolly old man. It was definitely his father, he knew it! The child’s anger only worsened at the sight of his Christmas stocking getting filled with coal this year as well.

“You’re not Santa!” he yelled out as he went out of his hiding spot, aiming his toy gun at the man.

“...You’re right,” chuckled the man, back still turned towards the child.

The child froze. That didn’t sound like his father’s voice.

The man slowly turned around, revealing eyes that didn't look like it belonged to a human, and the widest grin the child as ever seen. Horns slowly protruded out of the man's head and a long tail flicked around excitedly. This was definitely not Santa.

“Santa doesn't visit Naughty children. _I_ do,” cackled the imposter. “They have the most _delicious_ screams~!”

As soon as he said that, the entire room turned black. “Now….let me hear yours...!”

The child dropped his nerf gun in a panic and screamed as he ran away in the now endless hallway. He lived in an average house, usually his parents would come running as soon as they hear him scream. But no one is coming for him. Not his mom, not his dad, and certainly not Santa.

 

**_He’s going to get eaten alive._ **

 

Ouma let the chase continue for a moment before swiftly capturing the struggling child with his tail, snickering at the child’s fear-stricken face.

“N-no! No don’t eat me!”

“Naughty children get eaten, silly,” said Ouma in a sing-song manner as he surreptitiously fetched a small pouch from his pocket. He grabbed a handful of its contents and threw it at the child’s face, swiftly knocking him out. It was a modified knockout powder that didn't have the side effect of memory loss. The child has to remember this fear for this to work, after all.

_“E-excuse me, Mr. Devil? Are you finished now?”_

“Mmm, Mikan, was it?” Ouma grabbed a gingerbread man from the tray before carrying the child back to his room.

_“Y-yes, sir…”_

“Yeah, I’m all done here. This one’s the last one on the list, yeah?” the devil grabbed the rest of the cookies as soon as he got back to the living room, stuffing them all inside his pockets. “Is Santa finished with his own work?”

_“Y-yes! Daimon Masaru is the last one on your list, sir! A-and Mr. Claus already returned to the workshop. He’s waiting for you to come back t-too.”_

“Okay! Thanks for the good work, Mikan~ I’ll be out of the chimney in a moment. Tell Santa to come pick me up for me, alright~?”

_“W-will do!”_

The devil easily climbed through the narrow chimney and sat on the roof as he waited for his friend to fetch him. He was in the middle of nibbling on a sugar cookie when he heard the sleigh’s tell-tale bells. He’s seen Kiibo ride the sleigh before since that’s how he travels to Halloween Town, but there was something magical about seeing his friend working in his natural habitat.

“Thanks for the good work,” was the first thing Kiibo tells him as soon as he lands the unexpectedly light sleigh on top of the Daimon household’s rooftop. “I hope it wasn’t too troublesome.”

“Not really. I’m a little disappointed actually, they’re much tamer than the brats I know back at home,” Ouma sighed. “At least I got some cookies out of it. It evens out~”

Kiibo chuckled as he helped the devil climb on the sleigh. “...I seriously can’t thank you enough for tonight.”

“Don’t sweat it. We’re friends, ya know?” Ouma shrugged. “Tell me next time. Don’t just suddenly stop visiting me without giving me a head’s up. That was mean.”

“Sorry, I really am,” the albino heaved out a sigh. “...How about you join us for some hot cocoa and marshmallow pie before I take you back home?”

Purple eyes sparkled at the offer. “Marshmallow pie? That’s a thing? I wanna try!!!”

Kiibo flashed him a smile, “Teruteru loves to experiment. I’m sure seeing your reaction to his food in person would make him happy.”

“Go, go! I wanna try it now!”

“Haha, alright, alright. Hold on tight.”

“Aye, aye!”

The sleigh took off into the night sky, leaving behind snowflakes and the sound of jingling bells as they laughed along their way to Santa’s-- _Kiibo’s_ workshop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When Daimon Masaru returned to school, he felt chills run down his spine when his circle of friends all discussed the same demon that greeted him last Christmas. The biggest surprise was the fact that Monaca went to class walking with her own two feet. Apparently the monster destroyed her wheelchair during the chase. They all vowed to behave for the rest of their lives, fearing that the monster would come visit them again.


	10. My Dear Nightingale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Kiibo being sick on Christmas and Kokichi nursing him back to health. Bonus if Kiibo had a small box that he was going to give Kokichi as a present holding a ring."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made plenty of references about a certain special person. If anyone could guess who it is, I’ll prepare a prize. This applies to those who comment on ao3 or those who comment on my story on tumblr.

“Mind running that by me again?”

Kiibo sighed. “...A coworker’s kid shoved snow down my coat while I was talking with some colleagues two days ago.” He frowned once his boyfriend started cackling whilst wringing a new towel to replace the one that’s resting on his forehead. “Is this how you normally handle your patients?”

“Nooope~” Ouma wiped a stray tear from his eyes with a thumb, “Only _you_ get this special treatment from me.”

“I’d rather not get this special treatment then,” Kiibo sulked.

“Awww, don’t be like that Kiibaby~” the raven haired man moved to pinch his lover’s cheek in an effort to disrupt his totally mature pouting face. “You gotta admit, that’s the dumbest way to get sick. I thought you fell through the ice or something.”

“I’d be dead if that were the case,” the albino groused.

“Exactly! You’re not dead and that’s what’s important. So stop being such a whiny baby about this and let your super amazing nurse-boyfriend take care of you~” Ouma kissed him on the cheek, making the latter’s anger dissipate instantaneously. _Works every time._

“Not like I have a choice…” Kiibo sighed. “...I’m sorry about this, Kokichi.”

“Mmm? For what?”

“...Ruining our plans,” Kiibo looked away, his grip on the sheets tightening.

“Ahhh, it’s no big deal,” Ouma shrugged before holding his boyfriend’s hand with both of his. “Besides, Christmas comes back every year. You, on the other hand, won’t if things turned out for the worst. It’s obvious which one’s more important to me. ”

Kiibo turned his head to face his boyfriend, taking note of how cold his hands were. No, they weren’t cold. His temperature was just too high. “Kokichi…”

“Unlike _you,_ I’m an adult. So I can accept that things we can’t control happen sometimes,” Ouma kissed his hand before moving back. “Anyway, I’ll go cook you some gruel to eat. Rest up until then, alright?”

“Okay...don’t push yourself too hard,” Kiibo punctuated his sentence with a coughing fit.

“Speak for yourself, dummy,” Ouma huffed, offering him a cup of warm water before sticking a straw in it.

The albino shyly nodded his thanks after drinking, shifting to his side to hide his embarrassed face. He was too used to being able to handle a situation on his own due to his line of work, he hardly got sick too, and this just so happened to be one of those rare few instances that he did. It doesn’t help that he’s not used to being in his boyfriend’s care in this kind of scenario because of his body’s usual resilience.

Ouma could tell that that’s what he was thinking, so he didn’t comment on his actions and just left the room as silently as possible.

Once he was sure that his boyfriend was gone, Kiibo sluggishly moved to grab his attache case from under the bed and grabbed a small velvet box from a secret compartment. He lifted the lid, relieved to see that the ring was still intact. It was a good thing that Ouma doesn’t rummage through his work-related things; his case was the only place where he could hide the ring without getting found out. He returned his case back to its place under the bed.

He was supposed to give it to Ouma after their Christmas Eve date tonight, but unfortunately, he woke up with a high fever this morning. He flopped his head against his pillow, wincing a little from the impact.

“Ugh...maybe I should try to get some sleep after all…” he groaned, rolling on his side once more before closing his eyes. Fortunately, sleep claimed him as soon as he did so.

 

\-----------------------------------------------

 

Everything felt incredibly hot, yet his sweat was cold. So cold. Yet so hot. And it’s dark. So very dark. He feels like his eyes were open, yet he can’t see anything. Dread settled in the pit of his stomach as he desperately tried to gather his bearings. That was when he noticed a faintly approaching light. Was his condition that bad? Was he going to die on Christmas Eve of all days? He’s going to haunt Kazuichi’s child for the rest of his life if he does. On second thought, that would probably be too petty of him.

The light grew bigger and brighter, making him tense in his place. The feeling of a familiarly soft hand against his forehead, however, managed to calm him down. This hand could only belong to Ouma.

“Shit. It got worse,” Ouma placed his portable lamp on top of the bedside drawer. “I swear if they don’t turn the lights back on, they’ll be hearing from me tomorrow.” He grumbled, assuming that his companion was too out of it to process his words. He wasn’t entirely wrong.

“Ko..Kokichi...” Kiibo managed to cough out.

Ouma’s face softened. “Shh. Don’t worry, I got you. The lights just went out while I was cooking, so I decided to check on you first. Good choice, too.”

The raven-haired male moved to brush the hair away from the albino’s face. “Let’s get you out of your clothes. You probably sweated a lot while I wasn’t looking.”

Kiibo closed his eyes, letting his significant other caress his cheek with a hand, letting out an involuntary but appreciative hum.

Ouma left the lamp in their room when he went out to fetch a basin of warm water and a fresh towel. He helped Kiibo sit up once he returned and proceeded to unbutton his pajama shirt.

“You know, when I said that I absolutely _love_ seeing you hot and bothered, I didn’t mean it like this,” Ouma sighed as he started wiping his companion’s chest.

“Maybe...next time then...” murmured Kiibo, panting slightly from the heat.

Ouma quirked a brow at his remark. “Quite a bold statement coming from you, honey. I should have recorded that, damn.” He continued with his ministrations, resisting the urge to crack more inappropriate jokes once he got started on Kiibo’s lower half. It wasn’t worth it when Kiibo’s not in the condition to scold him for it.

Kiibo felt a little lighter once he got changed into a fresher set of pajamas, his sight was starting to focus again. “...You really... _are_ a nurse.”

“Of course I am! I didn’t take up medicine for nothing, stupid!” Ouma snorted, before easing into a more serene smile. “I’ll go get you something to eat. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay...” Kiibo found himself staring at the lamp. There was a tiny nagging in his head that he remembered reading about something involving a nightingale and a lamp, but the answer escaped him no matter how hard he tried. Thankfully, his boyfriend returned with a tray of rice gruel before he gave himself a headache.

“Try to eat as much as you can. I can’t let you go hungry just cause you’re sick,” was what Ouma said before blowing on a spoonful of rice gruel. “Now open wide~”

Kiibo’s cheeks reddened for being treated like a child, but since he’s a totally mature adult, he chalked it up to his fevered state. He hesitantly parted his mouth, allowing his companion to feed him.

“Is it too hot?” Ouma asked as he lifted another spoonful.

“A little…”

“I’ll give it a few more blows then~”

This continued for a little while longer, before Kiibo couldn’t find it in himself to eat any more. Ouma eyed the left over gruel in the bowl but shrugged before placing it on the free space on the bed.

“Well, at least I know your condition isn’t that bad. You got to finish half of your meal so it’s a good sign,” Ouma smiled, moving to give the albino a pat on the head. “Good boy~”

“S-stop that…’m not a child...” Kiibo murmured, looking away in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. Keyword: attempt.

“Why don’t you give me a child to spoil then?” Ouma chortled before resting his head on the bed. “Just kidding~”

Kiibo turned his head to look at his lover’s resting form. He knew that Ouma had a certain fondness for children, even though he doesn’t look like the type. He had seen the look on the nurse’s face whenever they passed by the playground whenever they went out. His eyes were full of yearning as he watched the children play with their parents the whole time.

Kiibo once asked him years ago if he would have preferred to start a normal family with a woman instead of him--which earned him a slap on the face and a long tirade explaining how stupid he was to accuse the nurse of such a thing. And that he was perfectly happy being with him--a boring salaryman who worked in a tech company. A boring salaryman who is currently bedridden and unable to shower him with as much affection as he would have intended in fear of getting his boyfriend sick.

Kiibo combed his hand through soft, raven locks--noting how Ouma flinched at the sudden contact. “Once I get better, let’s go...check out some orphanages...together.”

“...Promise?”

The albino leaned down to kiss the crown of his head, “I promise.”

And as though a magic word had been uttered, the lights flickered back on, temporarily blinding the couple.

Ouma sat up in an instant, “About time!”

“Will you be sleeping in the guest room?”

The raven haired man shifted his attention to the bedridden albino. “Are you stupid? Do I look like a guest to you? Of course I’m sleeping with you still!”

Kiibo smiled at him as he entwined their hands together. “...I love you.”

Ouma gaped at the sudden confession, cheeks flushing red in embarrassment afterwards. “I...I love you too.”

It was truly annoying, having the need to resist their urge to kiss the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kiibo hesitantly shook his boyfriend awake. “Kokichi...it’s Christmas.”
> 
> The raven-haired male groaned, prompting the albino to chuckle at the sight of his rather impressive bed-hair. “What are you smiling about? I don’t like that.”
> 
> “It’s nothing. I...actually have something for you,” Kiibo rummaged for a velvet box hidden under his pillow.
> 
> Ouma snapped into a sitting position at the sight of the box, eyes wide. “Wait, is that…”
> 
> “Ouma Kokichi...” Kiibo kept his eyes on his lover, not wanting to miss his reaction. “...Will you marry me?”
> 
> Ouma’s first response was to toss a pillow on the albino’s face. Inside the box was a purple ring-pop--how did it even fit in such a fancy box?!
> 
> “If you weren’t sick, you would have been a dead man, Iidabashi Kiibo.” Ouma glared at him before slipping out of bed. “Anyway, what are you in the mood for? I’m feeling toast.”
> 
> Kiibo chuckled. “Sounds good, actually.”
> 
> Ouma nodded with a yawn, idly scratching his stomach as he made his way out of their room. Once the coast was clear, Kiibo returned the actual ring in the box. “Maybe next time.” He chuckled to himself.


	11. Snow Day in Hogwarts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Hogwarts AU. Kiibo and Ouma are in different houses, they are close friends who bicker often. During Christmas break, everyone in Kiibo’s house went home so he was the only one left. Ouma went to visit his dorm then discovers he’s not human."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made some changes to the prompt so...Kiibo and Ouma are in the same House instead. I also took a lot of liberty on some parts so if you wanna know what it is, just read and you'll know what I mean.
> 
>  

Hogwarts was usually a homey place filled with life and noise. But it could be an incredibly lonely and hell, even a terrifying place to be in once everything goes quiet. Much like now, when it was the Christmas season. A good majority of his classmates were muggle-borns, with him and Kiibo being the only two trainee wizards born from a long line of wizards. And everyone collectively decided to go back home to the Muggle world, while other nobles decided to spend the holiday in their own homes. The only two Ravenclaw students left behind was him and Kiibo--who was currently nowhere to be found.

“He said he’d stay in the dorms for the holiday so I was alright with staying behind too. There’s nothing to do at home after all,” Ouma grumbled, kicking at the air out of irritation before swiftly turning towards the direction of the Ravenclaw Tower. He burst through the dormitory as soon as the eagle knocker granted him entry. The fact that Kiibo wasn’t in the common room _or_ their dormitory either annoyed him greatly. How was he supposed to kill time _now?_

“What a liar, I’ll give him a piece of my mind when I see h--OW!” he stood up as soon as he felt a pricking sensation on his backside. He angrily ripped the blankets out of his bed, absolutely livid at the possibility that someone left him a little ‘present’ before going off on a vacation for revenge. Instead, he found a little creature trembling on his bed--a hedgehog that was as white as snow.

“What? Where’d you come from?” the young wizard got on his knees to get a better view of the frightened animal. “A pet? Did your owner leave you behind? How irresponsible...” The hedgehog clumsily crawled its way towards him.

Ouma laid out his palms flat on the bed, allowing the animal to climb on it. _‘I remember Tanaka-chan talking about the animals he saw in the Muggle world. That’s pretty much how I recognized this thing in the first place. But I don’t remember anyone in Ravenclaw owning a pet like this one...’_ He slowly lifted the animal for closer inspection, hesitantly stroking its head with a finger.

“...Soft,” Ouma mused as he pulled it closer him. He noted its shivering form and carefully placed a hand over it to keep it warm. “You’re probably hungry too, aren’t you? I don’t really know how to take care of magical creatures, what more if it’s something from the Muggle world?”

The hedgehog pressed its nose against his palm affectionately, unknowingly leaving cracks on the walls of Ouma’s heart. He didn’t think animals from the Muggle world could be this endearing. Maybe that’s why Tanaka-chan adored every single one of them.

“Ah that’s right! Tanaka-chan wrote journals recording information about various animals... It should be right under his bed,” Ouma placed the hedgehog back on the bed and wrapped it inside his blanket. “I’ll be right back.”

He heard soft mewling from behind him as he pulled out a chest from under his upperclassman’s bed. “I said I’ll be back. Be patient,” he huffed before picking the lock guarding the chest, doing it himself was faster than casting an enchantment after all.

He kicked the chest back under the bed as soon as he found the journal he was looking for. It was a good thing that Gundam was a highly organized individual when it comes to studying creatures. He even made separate sets of journals, one studying magical creatures, while the other was for studying Muggle world creatures--which made it incredibly easy for him to find the right one.

“Let’s see...hedgehog, hedgehog, hedgehog...found it!” Ouma sat on the edge of his bed, careful not to accidentally sit on his little guest again. Once was more than enough. “Mostly meat, but technically not a picky eater, huh. That makes it easier for me at least.” The raven-haired wizard smiled, gently rubbing a finger on his little charge’s head.

The hedgehog lifted its nose to rub it against his finger, letting out a soft purr.

Ouma felt like crying. It was unbearably cute and he feels extremely overwhelmed by such a foreign and positive feeling he can’t really describe. Thank _God_ no one was around to see him like this. “...I should give you a name. I don’t think anyone owns you, so it should be fine.”

“...Come to think of it, are you a boy or a girl?” He carefully balanced the hedgehog in one palm and used his free hand to flip through the pages of Gundam’s journal. “...Huh. So if it looks like it has a belly button, it’s a guy. Alright. Simple enough.”

Ouma carefully laid the animal on its back on the bed so as not to risk himself getting his hand pricked just because he wanted to know whether it had a dick or not. Sure enough, it had a ‘belly button’ so that was the end of that mystery.

He stared at the little creature for a moment before straightening his back as soon as an idea hit him. “...Kiiboy.”

The hedgehog looked up at him with its wide and beady eyes.

Ouma scooped up the small creature in his hands again and gave it another gentle pat, “Nishishi! You like it? I think it fits you well. You both have white hair, your hair--fur? Is pointy. You’re a boy too. It all checks out.”

 _‘Besides, the real Kiiboy was supposed to keep me company in the first place. This is the next best thing… ’_ he pouted as he continued stroking the hedgehog’s head.

“I should get you something to eat. I’m hungry anyway,” he then enchanted the journal with _wingardium leviosa_ and had it follow him and his smaller companion to the Great Hall, where hungry students from the other houses gathered as well. It was a good thing that meals in Hogwarts were always served full-course, it should cover meat, vegetables, and fruit all in one fell swoop. He just had to sneak some to the dormitories and feed Kiiboy--the hedgehog--there.

He surreptitiously placed the animal on his lap as soon as he reached his seat in the Ravenclaw’s table. It would have been less awkward if Kiibo ate with him. The table was practically deserted with everyone gone on a vacation with their respective families. Well, one perk of this is that he gets to feel like a king. Lonely, but a king regardless.

He spotted Kaito from the Gryffindor’s table glancing at him now and then, which he responded to by sticking his tongue out. The Gryffindor opted to shake his fist at the Ravenclaw instead of shouting like he used to, considering the Great Hall wasn’t that full of students and his voice would definitely grab too much attention than he would like.

“Dry food. Not too much fruit and vegetable and some water,” Ouma noted before digging in his meal. There wasn’t much point to staying in the dining hall too long since he’s alone, so he practically inhaled his food before working on gathering scraps for Kiiboy.

He made sure not to include the oily portions of the chicken and the pork meat and sliced it thinly for easier consumption. An apple was a little too difficult to slice through with a dining knife so he opted for corn and peas instead. He wrapped it all inside the table napkin and silently left the dining hall, much to the surprise of his peers, considering he’s the type to cause trouble whenever he could.

He was quite known for using his knowledge for mischief instead of simply learning for the sake of learning. Many still doubt how he got sorted into Ravenclaw despite his troublesome attitude. Though Ouma believes he fit Ravenclaw’s motto of: “Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure,” quite nicely. They’re just haters. Yeesh. Besides, if he wasn’t meant to be in Ravenclaw then how do they explain the fact that he could answer the eagle guarding their tower? Its riddles are not no-brainers like the Sphinx's.

Ouma shook his head. His frustrations are simply adding up this holiday season for some reason. And as if to respond to his rather negative disposition, Kiiboy rubbed his face against his hand affectionately, prompting him to smile. “Thanks, Kiiboy.”

He dragged a chair towards his bed and placed his little friend on it before unwrapping the table napkin next to the creature to reveal his own little feast. “Dig in, little guy.”

Kiiboy hesitantly approached his meal, giving it a few sniffs before nibbling on a thin strip of chicken.

While his companion ate his fill, Ouma pulled out a small flask filled with water and his wand from his robe. He looked for Tanaka’s desk filled with potions and waved his wand as soon as he caught sight of what he wanted from it. “ _Accio,_ dropper.”

He caught the instrument with his free hand and started filling it with lukewarm water. “Kiiboy, come here.”

He smiled when the hedgehog raised its head and turned to look at him. “Looks like you already got used to your name. Come here, have some water.”

The snowy hedgehog clumsily made his way towards the young wizard, waiting for him to get picked up in the latter’s arms.

“Good boy,” Ouma tittered, shifting the animal in a more comfortable position before placing the dropping in its mouth; squeezing it slowly to avoid accidentally choking it with water. Once he was sure that the hedgehog was sufficiently hydrated, he returned him to its dinner.

Ouma observed the hedgehog eat, cupping his face with both hands, elbows resting on his lap. _‘But still...how did Kiiboy get in Hogwarts? He’s just a regular hedgehog, so I don’t think he could have answered the eagle’s riddle either...Though that would have been cool.’_

He glanced at the floating journal before dispelling the effects of the charm, catching it in his arms. “I don’t think Tanaka-chan accidentally left you behind. He never forgets about any creature, magical or not.”

He redirected his attention to Kiiboy when he heard him squeaking for attention. “Oh you finished. You’re probably thirsty again, come here.”

This was how he ended up caring for a hedgehog from the Muggle world during their Christmas break. It felt strangely natural for him to care for Kiiboy, even though he was usually terrible with any creature. Mostly because his presence alone frightens them. And yet something so small and fragile like Kiiboy wasn’t scared of him. In that regard, he was exactly like Kiibo.

Ouma knew he was a prodigy, and was not afraid to declare such as fact. But due to his personality, he often gets yelled at by the students belong from other Houses as well as his fellow Ravenclaw. Kiibo wasn’t an exception. But what makes him distinguishable from the others was the fact that Kiibo never left him alone. In a sense that he still shows concern for his well-being even if Kiibo was one of the few students he frequently subjected to his pranks.

...But where _is_ he?

He had been missing for a little over a week now without a trace… Kiibo had his own set of friends he often hung out with, but he always made time for him. He never said it out loud, but he had already considered the albino Ravenclaw as his friend.

Ouma snapped back to reality when he felt Kiiboy press his nose against his hand, prompting the wizard to pat the hedgehog on the head. “Sorry~ Were you trying to cheer me up?” He lifted his pet and gave him a quick nuzzle before placing him down. “I’m okay now. Don’t worry.”

Kiiboy let out a few more squeaks, rubbing his face against Ouma’s palm.

The raven-haired wizard’s gaze softened as he stroke the hedgehog’s head. “Hey, Kiiboy...do you think I’m a terrible person? Nobody likes me, and my... _friend_ is nowhere to be found even though he said he’d stay behind with me. Am I not worth it?”

Kiiboy let out soft mewls, rubbing his head against Ouma’s thigh, prompting the latter to lift the animal and place it on his lap.

“Thanks Kiiboy,” he leaned down to press a kiss on its head. “This means a lot to me.”

The hedgehog pressed his nose against Ouma’s very own before hurriedly scurrying his way back to his place on Ouma’s bed--his pillows. His steps were a lot less clumsy now ever since Ouma let him walk around the dormitory instead of lifting him around every time since the journal said hedgehogs needed exercise. Unfortunately, majority of the recommended play things listed in the journal are only accessible in the Muggle world.

Ouma turned his back on the animal, only to flinch when he heard a sudden thud and a shriek come from not too far away. “Kiiboy?” He panicked when he saw his Intermediate Transfiguration book on the floor. “Kiiboy?! Hey!” He rushed to pick up the said book, scared that he’d find a flattened ball of white quills underneath. He heaved out a relieved sigh when he noticed a little spike ball next to his textbook.

“Calm down, boy.” He placed the book on the bed and crouched. “Open up, Kiiboy. I can’t touch you if you’re like that.”

The spike ball squirmed a little before unraveling itself back to its normal state. Kiiboy let out a few panicked squeaks as it approached the young wizard, allowing himself to get scooped up in the latter’s arms.

“Geez, what’s gotten into you? That was dangerous! What if you got squished into a pancake?” Ouma huffed, rubbing a finger against his pet’s cheek. “How did you even reach my Transfiguration book anyway? It was on my bedside dra--” He paused before eyeing the creature. _‘I need to keep a closer eye on him.’_

Kiiboy behaved after that incident. Probably scared out of his mind after such a fall. Ouma decided to shrug it off and allowed himself to get some alone time by dropping by Honeydukes to spoil himself with all sorts of sweets. He made sure the hedgehog was fast asleep before leaving the dormitory. Other than being his usual clumsy and fragile self, Kiiboy was actually clingy towards him. Always following him wherever he goes… It was awfully endearing for the little creature to worry about his state of loneliness, but Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas if he didn’t have any sweets to nibble on.

Glacial Snow Flakes, Chocolate Frogs, Drooble’s Best Bubble Gum, a whole lot of Jelly Slugs, a few sticks of Sugar Quills and some Toothflossing Stringmints to save him from cavities. He’s definitely saving Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans for the next time he sees Kiibo. He could drag his other peers into his petty revenge while he’s at it since he bought a couple of boxes for that purpose. He was about to exit Honeydukes when he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

“Ouma-kun?”

The raven-haired wizard lifted his head from checking his purchase, relaxing when his eyes landed on Kaede. “What do you want, Akamatsu-chan?”

“I didn’t expect to bump into you in Hogsmeade at all since you’ve spent your time in your Tower for the past week,” the blonde wizard hurriedly made her way towards him. “Actually, everyone in our year wanted to hold a Christmas party today. I was actually buying some sweets here for that reason.”

“Aaaand? What’s that got to do with me?” Ouma huffed, resting a hand on his waist.

“It has everything to do with you! You’re invited too, you know!” Kaede wagged a finger. “It would be good if you could get Kiibo to join us too. I haven’t seen him at all either, so I thought he was staying in the Tower with you the whole time. I would have visited myself but the riddles--I keep failing each time.”

“Go ask Kiiboy first. I’ll go if he goes,” Ouma shrugged before smirking. “...If you can find him that is.”

“Huh? Find? Wasn’t he in the Tower with you?” Kaede looked at him in confusion.

The Ravenclaw shook his head, “Nooope~ I’m the only one home right now. Kiibo left me behind just like the others did.”

“Oh...then shouldn’t it be fine if you go? You can eat with us at the Gryffindor table,” Kaede smiled.

“And sit close to Momota-chan? No thanks, I don’t feel like being around stupid during vacation,” Ouma rolled his eyes before moving to push the door open.

“Ouma-kun…”

He turned to look at her, noting the sadness in her eyes.

“You’re always welcome to join us later, okay?”

He closed the door behind him.

“Gryffindors are such a persistent bunch,” he mused before popping a jelly slug in his mouth. “Sweet~”

When he arrived back in Hogwarts, surely enough he saw that Christmas decorations were already up, however the tables still remained empty; the house-elves are still in the middle of preparing the feast, it seems. Kaede’s words echoed in his head, prompting him to shake his head before trudging his way in the direction of the Ravenclaw Tower. He didn’t know what he expected to see by the time he got back, but it surely wasn’t the chaos that met him in the dormitory. Books were scattered on the floor, along with robes and wands and other paperwork.

Purple eyes scanned the area for a small snowball-like animal, and that’s when his eyes landed on Shinguuji’s typewriter. Kiiboy was pressing random letters on the machine, all the while trying hard not to slip off his perch on the lower keys.

“Kiiboy, what’s with all this mess?” he huffed in mild annoyance, tossing his purchase on his bed before heading for the precarious animal. He’s not mad about the mess, considering he had done worse. But it was this sudden naughty behavior of his little companion that raised many questions.

_Ping!_

Kiiboy let out panicked squeaks when he began slipping off the typewriter, but calmed down upon realizing that he was in familiar hands. He looked up at the unimpressed wizard with innocent beady eyes.

It was something he won’t admit out loud, but it was too difficult to stay irritated at the small creature. With his beady eyes, and little paws and baby pink snout... “I’ll scold you after I clean everything up.”

Ouma gave its ear a gentle tug to show his ‘anger’ before laying him on his bed. “Stay there.”

He started with the robes and enchanted it to fly back to its original position right before the disaster while he picked up the text books lying down on the floor. He quirked a brow once he noticed just what sort of books he had gathered. They may have different titles and owned by Ravenclaws of different year levels, but they were all books on Transfiguration. He dropped the books off on the nearest bed and strode towards the typewriter’s direction.

Ouma carefully extracted the paper from the machine and read the random mess of letters encoded on it:

_“nmk; i bnvcs axcv m kiijbnko”_

He didn’t know what he was expecting. It was just a string of gibberish typewritten by a naughty, naughty, hedgehog. But is that all there is to it? Being in Ravenclaw, various bookshelves lined the dormitories as well, not just the common room. Yet for some reason, the only books involved in this mess were the ones used for Transfiguration. Something like that can’t be a coincidence.

He brought the paper with him to his bed, staring at it intently all the while noticing how the little troublemaker was silently watching his every move. He placed the paper on the bed. “Alright. You have some explaining to do. I know you can understand me, you’re a smart boy.”

Kiiboy peered at him innocently before walking away, crawling inside the bags of his earlier purchase.

Ouma slapped a hand to his face. “I’m probably just losing it. This is what happens if I’m left alone for too long, huh.”

The hedgehog went out of the bag with a teal colored Sugar Quill in his mouth, dragging it towards the exhausted wizard.

“I’m mad at you but here you are trying to cheer me up still,” Ouma sighed. He quirked a brow when Kiiboy crawled on top of the paper, dropping the candy quill on it. He then used his head to nudge the tip of the quill to point at a particular letter.

Ouma’s eyes widened once he realized what the little snowball was doing.

“i” Kiiboy paused to look up at the wizard, as though he was making sure the latter was watching.

“a”

“m”

“k”

“i”

“i”

“b”

“o”

Everything made sense now.

Ouma blankly stared at the hedgehog as he reviewed his days prior to this day. The times he smiled. The times he nuzzled the little creature. The times he talked about his feelings because animals don’t think about complicated things, right?

Ouma buried his face in his hands, letting out the heaviest sigh. “...Kiibo? You’re Kiibo?”

 _God. They shared a bed too. It shouldn’t mean much. But what the_ **_hell?!_ **

He dropped his hands and saw the hedgehog give his own version of a nod.

This. This was the reason why he was ‘alone’ for the entire week. A botched transfiguration spell. Who could have known?

...Funny. This was too funny. He was angry, embarrassed, amused, and relieved at the same time. While it was not in the way he expected it to be, Kiibo _did_ keep him company just as he had promised. Resisting the urge to smile genuinely, he opted to grab his own textbook on transfiguration and flipped to the table of contents.

“Alright, what did you do this time?” He asked, placing his fellow Ravenclaw on top of the book along with his trusty sugar quill.

“Animagi transformation”

That’s when Ouma burst out laughing. “Oh my G--that makes perfect sense! Did you botch it up somehow? Why can’t you turn back?”

Kiibo made displeasured noises, shaking his head.

Now that he thought about it, there was a lightning storm, or to be more precise, a _thundersnow_ that happened shortly before Kiibo ‘disappeared’ maybe that’s exactly the moment when he drank the Animagus potion. “Maybe it’s because it’s not an ordinary lightning storm...” mused the raven-haired wizard. “Well it should still count right? It’s still a lightning storm. This should wear off sometime soon.”

Kiibo left the sugar quill on the textbook and crawled off of it to sulk by Ouma’s pillow, raising his quills protectively.

“Come on, is that how you’ll treat me after I took such great care of you~?” Ouma taunted. “In fact, let’s go to the Great Hall now! Akamatsu-chan invited us to join the Gryffindor’s table during the Christmas Feast.”

Kiibo relaxed his quills before turning his head to look at his friend before eventually giving in and allowed himself to get scooped up by hands he’d already gotten used to.

“Good boy, nishishi! Ow-hey!” Ouma pouted when the albino pricked him a little.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Ouma-kun? You actually came!” Kaede gasped.

“What? Was that invitation a lie? Just when Kiiboy said yes too,” Ouma shook his head in dismay. “How cruel of you, Akamatsu-chan.”

“What? No! Of course you’re welcome here!” the blonde stood out of her seat.

“You invited _this_ guy too, Kaede? Oof--!” Momota shut up after the blonde smacked him on the arm.

Kaede leaned to the right, checking for any signs of the albino Ravenclaw but to no avail. “Didn’t you say Kiibo-kun left?”

“Ohhh, that was a lie, nishishi~!” Ouma carefully revealed the hedgehog hiding under his robe, resisting the urge to crack up. “He’s riiiight here!”

“Huh? Isn’t that a hedgehog?” Kaede tilted her head.

“Your jokes know no end it seems, you degenerate wizard!” Tenko huffed.

“Huuuh? I’m telling the truth though~ Kiiboy here actually botched his animagus potion--ouch! Stop that, you ingrate!” Ouma glared at the animal. “Why can’t you act cute just like before? I’m sad now.”

“That's _really_ Kiibo-kun?” Kaede moved closer for a better view. “Kiibo-kun?”

Ouma blankly stared at the blonde before offering the hedgehog, “You can hold him if you want. Just for a little while though.”

“H-huh? Um...m-may I, Kiibo-kun?” the blonde asked in worry, but seeing the little creature move towards her filled her with confidence and this unexplained happiness. She put her hands together to form a bowl, allowing the raven-haired wizard to place the hedgehog in her hands.

“He’s cuter like this, I know, but don’t get too excited or you’ll get pricked,” Ouma wagged a finger before taking his place on a vacant seat near the end of the Gryffindor table.

“Ah, I’ll be sure not to,” Kaede laughed softly, giving the little white furball a tentative pat. “Hedgehogs are a lot softer than they look…”

She let out an involuntary gasp when the hedgehog nuzzled her palm. _‘C-cute…!’_

“Alriiiiiiiiight, stop abusing your current form to flirt with the girls,” Ouma yelled from his end of the table. “Mind placing him on the table for me?”

“O-oh! Sure thing,” Kaede carefully placed the hedgehog on the table.

“Over here, Kiiboy~” the Ravenclaw called, an amused smile found its way on his lips.

The hedgehog shifted a little before making his way towards his fellow Ravenclaw, a little nervous from being watched by the Gryffindors in interest. His quills raised a little when he heard Tenko mulling over whether she should ask to hold him next or not. Kiibo relaxed as soon as he reached his goal--that is to say, a highly amused wizard.

“Good job,” Ouma snickered, giving his friend a pat. “It’s going to be a feast tonight, so I’ll be sure to give you lots and lots to eat~”

Just as he had said that, the headmaster clapped her hands, grabbing everyone’s attention so easily. She gave her usually calm and calculated speeches before greeting everyone for the holiday. With another clap of her hands, each occupied table was now filled with platters upon platters of food. No matter how many times they ate their meals here, they never lost their wonder at the sight of delicious food suddenly appearing before their very eyes.

The Gryffindors couldn’t help but watch the Ravenclaw carefully slice a portion of his chicken into slivers and placed it in a saucer for the hedgehog to eat. They weren’t used to seeing Ouma exert much effort in caring for another creature, and in this case, another person. Ouma would glare their way whenever they stared too long, making the Gryffindors look away in shame. While they still couldn’t ascertain whether the mischievous Ravenclaw was telling the truth regarding the hedgehog, seeing him tease, poke, and prod at the smaller animal just like he would for Kiibo, they decided to give Ouma the benefit of the doubt.

Ouma on the other hand, wanted to leave the table as soon as possible. He didn’t particularly enjoy having other people see him act so...caring. He had gotten too used to caring for Kiibo to the point that he had to make himself remember that no, he’s not in the private confines of the Ravenclaw Tower but in the Great Hall where everyone can see him at his most honest. A brilliant idea crossed his mind when he saw Kaito pick up a slice of flaming Christmas pudding. He made sure the hedgehog wasn’t looking when he surreptitiously took out his wand, waving it as he whispered, “ _Accio,_ pudding.” Just as the spike-haired Gryffindor was about to slice his fork through it.

Ouma effortlessly caught the plate of pudding and hurriedly dug in before his victim could register what had just happened. He pulled out 4 silver sickles from his mouth. It was gross. But he got some money out of it at least.

“Ouma, that was you, wasn’t it?!” yelled the Gryffindor, spooking the small animal loitering by the Ravenclaw’s plate.

Ouma placed a finger against his lips in a shushing manner. “Have some _decency,_ Momota-chan! Look what you did? You scared poor little Kiiboy!” He scooped up the hedgehog in his arms, cradling it like an infant, much to the animal’s confusion. “And on Christmas Day too~” he didn’t even bother hiding his smirk, which only served to anger the other wizard more.

“Why I outta--”

“Kaito-kun, don’t!” Kaede grabbed him by the sleeve. “Behave yourself!”

“Wh-?! You saw what he did to my pudding!” Kaito sent a heated glare towards the raven-haired wizard’s direction.

“Y-yes, but, it doesn’t have to be _that_ pudding, you know? There’s still more. No need to get mad at him,” the blonde glanced at the wizard in question. “He keeps teasing you exactly because you’re reacting so well to it.”

“Wrong! That’s because I hate his guts~!” Ouma called from afar, adjusting his hold on the hedgehog in his arms. “And that’s why I’m going to leave now. Bye~”

“Wait, Ouma-kun. There are still gifts to be--” Kaede sighed in defeat when she failed to convince the Ravenclaw to stay. “...I guess I’ll drop it off outside their tower then...”

“I don’t see why you have bother being kind to a degenerate who doesn’t deserve it,” Tenko huffed in annoyance.

“Come now, not you too, Tenko-chan,” Kaede frowned as she crossed her arms. “As Gryffindors, we must uphold justice and protect the weak. We shouldn’t use justice as a way to discriminate people.”

“S-sorry, Kaede-san…” Tenko shrank in her seat. Really, she only ever gets meek if it’s a girl that’s scolding her.

Kaito rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, “Well...if you put it that way, I guess I really was in the wrong huh.”

“At least now you know,” the blonde sighed. “I don’t think Ouma-kun is a terrible person. Just look at how he gentle he treated Kiibo-kun earlier. He won’t warm up to us if we keep pushing him away.”

“Alright...I’ll drop off the surprise firecrackers for you, Kaede,” Kaito heaved out a sigh. “I’ll try not to yell at him.”

Kaede smiled, “I’m counting on you, Kaito-kun!”

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

 

When Ouma left the Tower to fetch Kiibo some water to drink, he didn’t expect to see the spike-haired Gryffindor waiting for him outside with two brightly colored firecrackers in his arms. Upon noticing him, Kaito awkwardly approached him.

Ouma blankly stared at him before speaking. “Are you planning to blow up my House’s tower with those?”

“O-of course not!” The taller wizard shoved the firecrackers in his arms. “Those are surprise firecrackers for you and Kiibo.”

“Nishishi~! Did Akamatsu-chan guilt-trip you into being nice to me? Oh wait,” Ouma tilted his head, tapping a finger against his lips. “It’s because of Kiibo, isn’t it? It would have been awkward if you gave a hedgehog a gift but not me, right?”

“Look, I’m not in Ravenclaw for a reason. I’m not good at solving riddles and I’d rather act on my ideas than spend my free time just thinking and studying about complicated things.” Kaito sighed. “...You’re a smart guy. I know you know why I’m here.”

Ouma nodded along before tucking the firecrackers under an arm, “I see, I see, so it was both huh. You’re such a push-over when it comes to Akamatsu-chan. Hilarious, really.”

“Ouma--”

The raven-haired wizard patted the other on the shoulder before passing him by. “Yeah, yeah I got it. Thanks for the gift~”

“Where are you even going?” Kaito asked, a little annoyed with the fact that he was practically being left in the dust just as usual whenever it came to this troublesome Ravenclaw.

“The kitchen. Kiiboy needs water, so I’m actually in a hurry. Bye~”

Kaito awkwardly shifted in his place, glancing at the eagle knocker then back at the direction where the Ravenclaw disappeared to. “...I guess my business is done here.” He concluded, before leaving the area was well, heading towards the direction of his House’s Tower.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------

 

Frankly it was worrying...how Kiibo still couldn’t change back even after two months had already passed. Ouma joked about it before, but that was because he was banking on the fact that Kiibo would eventually change back sometime after Christmas. When the bells tolled at precisely midnight, ringing in the new year, he could tell that Kiibo had already given up on the possibility of ever changing back. He messed up the ritual. He messed it up really badly. And that fact haunted the hedgehog even in his dreams where he’d suddenly start thrashing in his sleep and end up accidentally pricking the sleeping wizard.

Ouma didn’t even know how to get around explaining to Kiibo’s father that his son has permanently become a hedgehog. When the other Ravenclaws got back from their vacation and learned of the situation, they tried coming up with possible solutions of turning their peer back to his original form. Gundam didn’t even get mad at him for picking the lock on his chest after finding out that it was for the purpose of caring for Kiibo’s current form and in fact, offered more tips in caring for the hedgehog.

“Kiibo, don’t worry…” he moved to hug the small animal. “I promise I’ll take good care of you. That’s what I’ve been doing from the start, right? So...you can definitely trust me on this.”

Kiibo, even as a hedgehog, rarely showed his sadness until this very moment. He let out despaired wails as he buried his face in his friend’s chest.

Ouma closed his eyes as he gently stroke the hedgehog’s head. “It’s okay, it’s okay...”

It was already March, and the snow was beginning to melt in preparation for Spring. Maybe taking Kiibo out for a nice walk under the sun would do him some good. Staying cooped up in the dormitory must have made him feel twice as miserable, so a change in scenery is in order. With that secret plan in mind, Ouma allowed himself to drift back to sleep.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------

 

When Ouma woke up the next morning, he didn’t expect to wake up tangled in limbs; so much so that his first response was to kick the stranger off the bed and grab his wand from his bedside drawer. “Alright, who goes there?” Ouma rolled out of the other side of the bed and had his wand pointed at the stranger’s general direction, taking on an offensive stance. It was a weekend and he decided to sleep in, so he was supposed to be the only one left inside the dormitory.

He was met with pained groans and clumsy shuffling against the floor before the stranger’s pale arm reached upwards to grab purchase on the bed to pull himself up. “...Ow…”

Ouma scanned his bed for the small creature he had grown accustomed to during the entire break. Unable to locate the hedgehog, the wizard concluded that the person struggling to stand on his own two feet before him was the real deal. “... _Kiiboy?!”_

The albino groaned as he rubbed his eyes to make him adjust to the lighting faster, “...W-what...what did you...kick me for?” Kiibo paused as his brain gradually processed the fact that he was currently seated on the floor half-naked with Ouma still pointing his wand at him. “I--I changed back!” he yelled, voice hoarse from months of disuse.

“I CAN SEE THAT!” Ouma yelled back, haphazardly tossing his wand on his bed and helped the albino wizard stand up.

Kiibo’s brows furrowed, deep in thought before his eyes widened with realization. “Help me to the window. I need to check something.”

Ouma quirked a brow at the request, but nodded. He slowly guided the albino towards the nearest window and drew the curtains.

Kiibo blinked his eyes a couple of times before scanning the view outside. He let out a soft gasp once he found his answer. “...The snow melted.”

Ouma understood it now after hearing those three words. A thundersnow was an odd phenomena on it’s own. And to drink the animagus potion thinking that it would suffice as a lightning storm...no one has done that before due to the rarity of such phenomena occurring in the first place. “...So you only had to wait for the snow to melt to change back.”

“Yeah.” Kiibo clenched and unclenched his fists to test his grip. “I should have expected this. An abnormal consequence for making use of an abnormal phenomena...” he trailed off.

“Does that mean you can change forms at will now?” Ouma’s eyes sparkled with interest. Becoming an animagus requires one to perform a tedious and annoying ritual, so not everyone is willing to commit themselves to that kind of torture. But to actually have a friend successfully pull it off was amazing! Even if his form isn’t exactly effective in battle.

“...I’d rather try checking that out some other time. I’ve already spent too much time in that form,” Kiibo shyly scratched his cheek. “And...um...thank you for taking care of me...this whole time.”

Ouma looked away in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. “It wasn’t for free. You’re going to have to repay me double for the trouble you’ve caused me.”

Kiibo regarded the shorter wizard with a calculated gaze before nodding. “You’re right. You’ve done so much for me--it’s only proper of me to return the favor.”

Ouma shoved the albino to his bed and crossed his arms, hiding his worsening embarrassment by putting on his usual smirk. “No takebacks. I’m going to work you to the bone, slave~!”

“G-give me time to recover first,” Kiibo rubbed his nape, heart still pounding even after his safe landing on the bed. “I need to get used to walking on my own two feet again.”

“That’s a pathetic excuse. First order of business is--accompany me to Honeydukes! You can get used to walking somewhere in between,” Ouma shamelessly rummaged through the albino’s luggage and tossed him a fresh set of clothes. “Your treat, of course.”

The albino clumsily caught his apparel, heaving out a sigh before smiling. “...Okay.”

The other students in their year who were aware of Kiibo's predicament were pleasantly surprised to see him walking out of the campus,  with an arm locked with Ouma's to support himself. The albino shrank a little from their staring but was able to relax once they were out.

Kiibo glanced at his companion’s cheerful disposition and heaved out a sigh. _‘Today is going to be a long day...’_ He thought to himself with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was a sense of achievement he felt after he was now officially registered as an animagus just like his father. Although his form wasn’t as remarkable as his father’s bear form, becoming an animagus on its own is something to be proud of. However, it still came with consequences.
> 
> “Kiiboooooooooy~”
> 
> Kiibo sighed. Speak of the devil. “What is it this time, Ouma-kun?”
> 
> “You’ve been cooped up in the study for a long time now so I brought you something to eat,” Ouma beamed at him. Suspicious.
> 
> “What did you bring me, exactly?” the albino shifted in his seat so he could face the other wizard properly.
> 
> “Hedgehogs love eating frogs, right? And that's exactly why I decided to catch one for you!”
> 
> Kiibo closed his eyes. _‘I should have known that it would be that.’_
> 
> His status as an animagus only gave his fellow Ravenclaw more material to mock him. To be precise, the very act of giving him food that catered to hedgehogs. Ranging from normal food like meat, fruits, and vegetables to food that no human would eat without being egged on by a dare like frogs, baby mice and little snakes.
> 
> “For the last time Ouma-kun...just because I can shift into a hedgehog doesn’t mean I’ll take on its diet with me even if I revert to my human form,” Kiibo huffed.
> 
> “Aww but you didn’t even give it a try yet! Catching this wasn’t easy either,” Ouma pouted. “Pleeeease?”
> 
> “I said no, Ouma-kun--” Kiibo froze when the raven-haired wizard suddenly moved to sit on his lap, running a hand along his jaw line.
> 
> “You talk too much.”
> 
> Ouma’s evil grin was the last thing he saw before he felt a hand forcefully pry his mouth open and shoved a squirming object inside it. Kiibo’s eyes went wide and was about to spit the thing out, but Ouma had slapped both of his hands over his mouth, which effectively prevented him from doing just that.
> 
> “Don’t think. _Taste.”_ Ouma was still smiling his way even if he was sending him his most intense glares of all time.
> 
> It was then did he finally register the rich flavor of milk chocolate that filled his mouth as opposed to the slimy texture attributed to the amphibious creature. The source of the flavor still squirmed in his mouth, which gave the albino an idea of what it was.
> 
> “Nishishi! Some guy from Hufflepuff accidentally released a horde of chocolate frogs just now, so I caught one for you,” Ouma sniggered as he slid off his friend’s lap, leaving the latter to carefully work his way around the living sweet in his mouth.
> 
> Kiibo pulled out his handkerchief from a pocket and dabbed it on the corner of his mouth before speaking. “...You should have just told me that from the start.”
> 
> “No way, where’s the fun in that?” Ouma folded his arms behind his head. “Just be happy that it wasn’t something else~”
> 
> Kiibo frowned at him before settling for a calmer expression. “I suppose you’re right.”
> 
> “Aren’t I always~?”
> 
> “Don’t push it.”
> 
>   _‘It was certainly troublesome at times, but hanging around Ouma-kun isn’t so bad...’_


	12. Lie Behind Christmas Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "kiibo learning about holiday traditions and customs from ouma??? also a side of forehead kisses™ because those,, make me Y E L L"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I actually lied about finishing the fic earlier? I uploaded this chapter as soon as I finished writing. Tee Hee~ ☆
> 
> Anyway, here's part 2 of the 1st chapter of this collection! I would just like to thank everyone for being patient with me. I know Winter has long since finished, but what can we do? In any case, I hope that you enjoyed reading my stories just as much as I enjoyed writing it. Take care and have a nice day ^^

Kiibo and Ouma had accidentally spent the whole afternoon playing with the children at the orphanage, much to the caretakers and children’s delight. However, even fun and games must come to an end. They had to return to Hope’s Peak before it gets too dark after all. Ouma stopped walking as soon as they entered the dormitory area.

“It seems we got caught in a bind.”

“Huh?” Kiibo paused in his tracks and looked at his companion in confusion. “I don’t understand--”

Ouma sighed, shaking his head before pointing upwards. “Look up, Kiiboy.”

“Oh. A mistletoe,” Kiibo tilted his head. “I don’t see the issue, Ouma-kun.”

“God, how sheltered do you have to be to not even know what’s the deal with mistletoes?” the supreme leader clicked his tongue.

Kiibo frowned, “I _do_ know about the tradition of kissing underneath one! But what I don’t understand is the need to comply. No one’s going to strong-arm us into performing such intimacies--especially if there’s no one around to do so.”

“Oh, you _definitely_ don’t understand how serious this situation is right now, Kiiboy. It’s not the people who you should be worried about, but the mistletoe itself,” Ouma looked up at the greenery hanging above them before shifting his attention back to his mechanical companion.

“Why is that?”

“Because we just got ourselves cursed right now is why,” Kiibo had to blink a couple of times to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating when he saw the supreme leader’s hair turn white and his skin pitch black for a split second. It turns out he really was just seeing things when he saw Ouma in his usual color palette.

The android’s brows furrowed upon processing the supreme leader’s words. “Cursed?”

“Mhm! While it's true that we don't have to kiss under it, that only applies on regular days. Things are different if you got caught underneath it on Christmas Day--that's when the curse takes effect.” Ouma raised his index finger, wagging it a little as he spoke. “Refusing to kiss while the curse is in effect would give us bad luck enough to last us a lifetime. And for a robot like you? You won't like that at all since you're practically immortal as long as you play your cards right.”

“Guhhh...That certainly sounds troubling…” Kiibo crossed his arms as he thought. “Well? How do we lift this curse?”

“With a whole lot of kissing, obviously,” the supreme leader nodded his head in the direction of the mistletoe. “See those white berries? Those are what gives the curse power. After every kiss, we can pluck one out. All we have to do is kiss until all the berries are gone--the mistletoe loses its power then.”

Kiibo eyed the shrub, his cheeks took on the color of the red poinsettias he found displayed on the dining hall earlier this morning upon spotting that there were in fact far too many berries than he had expected to see. “Do we really need to get rid of all of them?” he looked at his companion with hope in his eyes.

“Yes. Aaaaaaaall of them!”

And Ouma was quick to plunge the android into despair.

Kiibo grabbed at his head, confused, unsure, _nervous_ at the idea of kissing his classmate multiple times just to undo a curse that may or may not be fabricated by the latter just to tease him.

Ouma huffed out a laugh, “You’re worrying too much, Kiiboy. We don’t have to kiss on the lips for every single berry, you know! That would be boring. A kiss anywhere will suffice.”

“R-really?” Kiibo nervously pressed his fingers together.

“Yeah! Besides, I have no interest in sucking face with someone who has gasoline breath--”

“It seems not even Christmas can sway you from your robophobia…” Kiibo mumbled under his breath.

“Of course not!” snorted Ouma. “Anyway, we better take this mistletoe down and undo the curse somewhere the others won’t see us.”

The android saw the logic in that and nodded his acquiescence. “I’ll go fetch a ladder from the warehouse--”

“No need to bother with that,” the raven-haired Ultimate waved him off as he began climbing up the stairs in the dormitory.

“How else would we be able to take the mistletoe down?” Kiibo quirked a brow, freezing upon realizing something. “...Y-you’re not going to ask me to _fly_ , are you? I’ve told you before that I do not have such function!”

“Don’t be silly, I already know how useless you can be,” Ouma halted in his steps as soon as he was on the second floor, ignoring the android’s noise of protest. “All we need is some faith, trust, and a really cool slingshot!” He grinned as he brandished a slingshot out of his pocket.

“Did you have that in your pocket this whole time?” Kiibo huffed.

“Nah, the kids gave it to me as a present,” Ouma smiled, tugging on the rubber band to test its quality. “It’s a _really_ good one too.”

“Are you seriously planning to use a slingshot to shoot it down?” Kiibo directed his attention to the mistletoe above him.

Ouma let out an offended gasp. “You wound me! I’ll have you know that I have a track record of breaking windows with the precision of a sniper using slingshots!”

“Please don’t break windows intentionally using the gift the children gave you…” mumbled the android.

The raven-haired teen responded by sticking out his tongue before taking his aim. “Anyway, what I mean is I’m a good shot. All you have to do is stand there and catch the thing. Surely even you can do something as simple as that.”

Kiibo let out a sigh before nodding, “Alright. I’ll be sure to catch it.”

“You better!” Ouma huffed before holding his breath to keep his aim steady and true. Once he was ready, he let go of the marble and watched it collide with the mistletoe--leading to its literal downfall, with utter satisfaction. He redirected his attention towards his companion after hearing him wince--probably from the marble falling on his head as he struggled to catch the plant.

Kiibo rubbed his head before picking up the marble to prevent any unfortunate falls. “...That was impressive.”

“Why, thank you!” Ouma proudly did a curtsy with his uniform top. “Now get up here, we got some kissing to do!”

“P-please don’t phrase it that way,” Kiibo’s cheeks heated up as he was reminded of their true task.

“Huuuh? How else do you want me to phrase it? That’s as honest as I’ll ever allow myself to be,” Ouma slipped the slingshot back inside his pocket before sauntering his way towards the robot’s room, giving the door two knocks before flashing an expectant look at the android.

He was already used to the supreme leader’s utter disapproval of having anyone enter his room. They first assumed that Ouma was using it to store illegal goods, but after constantly being placed under the mercy of the shorter Ultimate, Kiibo deduced that he was just ashamed to let everyone enter such a cluttered room. Although Ouma still persists on telling everyone that their prior assumption was the truth.

“Now we need some place to hang this above us, but low enough for us to reach he berries,” Ouma hummed.

“Can’t we just hold it above our heads?” Kiibo murmured. “And before you complain about tiring your arms, the same does not apply to me. I can hold it above us without getting tired.”

“Oh? What’s this? Finally coming to your robo-senses?” Ouma’s eyes sparkled, bouncing on his place on Kiibo’s mostly unused bed. “Kiiboy’s finally embracing his robo-self! I’m so happy!”

“Stop unnecessarily prefixing words with ‘robo,’ also, this is the only option that fit your description,” huffed Kiibo.

“Well, as long as I don’t have to do anything else then it’s fine by me,” Ouma grinned, patting the free space beside him. “Hurry so we can get this over with!”

Kiibo found himself gulping nervously, despite not needing to do such action due to his robotic nature. “Perhaps we should count the berries first so we can estimate how many kisses we need.”

“Mm? I guess that’s not a bad idea. You do it, I believe in your bean-counting skills!” the supreme leader leaned back on his arms, looking at the android with interest. “Just don’t run out of battery power as soon as you finish.”

“Enough with your mocking,” frowned the robot, slightly moving away from his companion to count the snow-white berries. “...Nineteen.”

Ouma clicked his tongue. “So only one of us gets to have an extra kiss in, huh.”

“You sound awfully disappointed for someone determined to lift the curse,” Kiibo narrowed his eyes at the supreme leader. He wasn’t really too sure if Ouma’s claims were true. He never really wondered about the Christmas tradition back then considering his father never really hung up mistletoes or pretend to be Santa for him since the professor was just a simple and honest man. He should consult Shinguuji about this supposed curse as soon as they finish this task.

“Non, non, it’s not that I _wanted_ this at all! But even if it’s a cruddy situation, you might as well make the most of it, riiiight?” Ouma playfully tilted his head to the side. “Anyway, let’s settle who does the smooching first with rock, paper, scissors.”

Kiibo blinked, eyeing the other Ultimate’s closed fist before lifting his own. “Fair enough.”

“Rock! Paper! Scissors!”

“Wha--No way! I actually lost?!” Ouma’s eyes widened in shock. He threw out paper while Kiibo threw out scissors. “Aww man this sucks. Why do _you_ get to have an extra kiss…?”

“You really sound disappointed about this,” Kiibo eyed the other in suspicion. _‘For a moment, it looked like he was going to throw out rock… What is he doing? Sabotaging himself like this...’_

“I already told you, you have gasoline breath!” Ouma frowned, aggressively wagging a finger at the android. “If I could skip out on one extra kiss from you then I would.”

Kiibo heaved out a heavy sigh.

“Ouma-kun, mind clarifying something for me?”

“Mm? What is it?”

Aquamarine lenses met deep amethyst orbs.

“Does it really have to be me? Is it perhaps possible to have a third person undo the curse for us?”

Ouma tilted his head to the side. “What made you ask that question?”

The android straightened his posture, clasping his hands above his lap. “...So far you’ve done nothing but spew robophobic remarks my way; not to mention, you have repeatedly expressed your reluctance to do this with me. I was merely wondering if it were possible to have an uninterested person undo the curse instead so you’d have someone you actually prefer kiss you instead.”

He could feel the raven-haired Ultimate scrutinize him with a heavy gaze.

“...Unfortunately, it has to be you,” Ouma smiled.

...He's smiling? What's with that?

Kiibo looked at his lap, “I see. Unfortunately, huh. I understand.”

“Aww, don’t be sad, Kiiboy~!” Ouma grabbed the android by his shoulders and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “You can use this chance to do something useful for both of us. That should be rewarding enough. Kisses from me aren’t cheap either, you know!”

“O-Ouma-kun, y-you--!” Kiibo’s face was flushed red.

“Mm? Ohhh. Whoopsie~” the supreme leader leaned back. “That one was invalid, the mistletoe wasn’t above us. We wasted a kiss, darn!”

Despite how flustered he was at that moment, Kiibo found himself narrowing his eyes at the other teen. _‘That was definitely on purpose! ...On...purpose? Hold on...’_

“Earth to Kiibo!” Ouma poked the android on his forehead. “Raise the mistletoe next time, we’re supposed to get rid of the curse after all.”

Kiibo pursed his lips before nodding. _‘If he’s going to act like this, then two can play at this game.’_

The android slowly raised the shrub above him, “Alright. Come closer, please.”

“Aye, aye~” The supreme leader scooched closer to the albino, regarding the latter with an expectant look as soon as he was close enough. “Well?”

Kiibo raised his left hand and cupped the other teen’s cheek, brushing away the hair framing his face. His face felt really soft to the touch, and it was warmer than he had expected. Although Ouma was wearing an empty smile, Kiibo could feel him tense under his touch. He wasn’t the only one nervous about this situation--that’s a relief. “Excuse me--”

“Just go for it, dummy!”

Replicating what the supreme leader had done for him earlier, he pressed a chaste kiss on Ouma’s left cheek. He dropped the hand that was cupping his classmate’s face as he pulled away. _One._

“Where do we place the berries? From what I know, mistletoe berries are rather poisonous, correct?”

“...Yeah,” Ouma looked around the room for anything they can use. “You could use the trash bin I guess, it looks empty. You can throw the whole thing in it once we’re through, actually.”

“Okay,” Kiibo plucked a berry from the plant and walked towards the trash bin. He carried the trash bin with his free hand and placed it next to his bed. “Give me a moment, I’ll go wash my hands.”

Ouma simply waved him away, a bored expression taking over his face. Once the android disappeared into his bathroom, the supreme leader kicked his shoes off before shifting into a more comfortable position on the bed and hugged his knees to his chest. He closed his eyes, recounting how the robot’s hand held his face so gently despite his build of steel. Nineteen kisses just for him. This is the Christmas present he prepared just for himself. Regardless of whether the curse was true or false, it shouldn’t reduce the value of the kisses at all.

He flinched a little when he felt the very hands he’s been thinking of gently shake him by his shoulder. The soft voice he learned to love in secret was so, _so,_ very close. “Ouma-kun? Are you feeling ill?”

Ouma lifted his head, making a show of rubbing his eyes as he let out an overly dramatized yawn. “Man, you took _forever_ in there. What were you doing? Were you having fun with yourself after just _one_ kiss?”

“Keep your vulgar thoughts to yourself, please.” Kiibo let out a huff as he returned to his place on the bed. “I was making sure I washed my hands thoroughly. I didn’t want you to get sick simply because I decided against washing my hands.”

“How thoughtful of you~ But anyway, it’s back to curse breaking for us,” Ouma flashed the android a mischievous smile as he passed the mistletoe to the latter. “My turn, of course.”

Kiibo lifted a brow when Ouma had grabbed a hold of his free hand, aquamarine lenses widened as soon as he realized what the supreme leader intended to do.

“Mmm-mm! It’s all nice and clean, just like you said,” the shorter teen nodded with approval. He then raised Kiibo’s hand to his lips, making sure to maintain eye contact as he pressed a kiss on the robot’s hand. _Two._

It was satisfying to watch the robot trying but ultimately failing to keep his feelings hidden. He’s such an open book to him--which is precisely why Ouma felt safe. Safe to slowly but surely bare his more vulnerable self to the android. Ouma reached upwards to pluck a berry and dropped it into the trash bin. “Your turn.”

Kiibo blinked a couple of times before the words registered in his mind. “A-ah, yes, of course.” His face was still a little red from the kiss earlier. Kind of odd since it was just a hand kiss.

The android simply kissed him on his other cheek. _Three._

And so Ouma retaliated with an equally boring kiss on his fingers. _Four._

Ouma’s hand. _Five._

Kiibo’s cheek. _Six._

Ouma’s fingers. _Seven._

The other cheek. _Eight._

Ouma was starting to get bored of the exchange. Even if every kiss from the android still made his heart flutter, the fact that it was starting to resemble a Kissing Bingo made it a little…. He froze in place when he felt surprisingly warm lips linger on his forehead. _Nine._ Perfect. Because he felt like he was at cloud nine at the moment and by _God,_ he’s not descending any time soon.

“Ouma-kun? It’s your turn.”

“I know already.”

As though to return the favor, Ouma mimicked the android’s kiss. _Ten._ They were making quick work of the mistletoe berries, and consequently, they were running out of places to kiss. Kiibo knew this too, and that’s why he’s become increasingly nervous as more and more berries got plucked out of the mistletoe. No one said they couldn’t kiss the same place twice, and yet it seemed like there existed an unspoken rule which said otherwise. Ouma tapped an ear with a knowing look, to which he was responded with a nervous look and eventually, a nod.

“E-excuse me...” Kiibo whispered as he invaded the supreme leader’s personal bubble for the umpteenth time that evening.

“Just get it over with.” Ouma rolled his eyes, pushing his hair behind an ear to give the android easier access.

Kiibo took a deep breath before going for the kiss. _Eleven._ He was astonished to find that Ouma’s ears had flushed red from the contact, and yet the supreme leader’s face remained blank.… Interesting.

“Hey, Kiiboy.”

“Yes?”

“Close your eyes for a moment, will you?” Ouma tilted his head.

Unable to discern his companion’s intentions, Kiibo silently complied. He tensed a little when he felt the other boy’s hands on his shoulders--to support himself most-likely. His eyelids twitched a little when he felt the other’s lips ghost against them. And there it was, the Twelfth kiss that sent tiny sparks through his entire circuitry. ‘ _What was that…?’_

“Ah--!” Kiibo’s arms flailed around as he fell back against his bed. Using his elbows to prop himself up, he sent the other Ultimate an indignant glare. “W-what was that for?”

Ouma pressed a finger against his lips, “You looked like you were dreaming, so I decided to bring you back to the real world. Get up Kiiboy, we only have seven kisses left.”

“A-alright,” Kiibo returned to his previously upright position and hesitantly wrapped an arm over the supreme leader’s shoulder. He guided the latter’s head a little downwards so he could press a kiss on the crown of his head. _Thirteen._

“Hoho, how daring of you. I guess I better step up my game then. No way I’m losing to a robot!” Ouma smirked once the deed was done.

“Lose? This isn’t a competi--” Before the android could even finish his sentence, the supreme leader had already slipped his trademark checker-patterned scarf off of his shoulders with one swift tug, revealing the creamy white expanse that is Ouma’s neck. The novelty of such a view had rendered him utterly speechless.

“Take a picture, it lasts longer,” Ouma regarded the albino with a smug grin as he discarded the scarf over his shoulder.

“...I don’t understand. It’s your turn, isn’t it?” Kiibo mumbled his query, eyes darting elsewhere. Somehow it felt wrong eyeing the supreme leader’s rarely exposed neck.

“I can’t exactly step up my game on _my_ turn, you know? You don’t really have that many places for me to kiss,” the supreme leader pouted. “Now turn around for me.”

Kiibo complied without protest, considering it would mean he wouldn’t have to look at the supreme leader’s newly exposed collar, unintentional or not. He raised the mistletoe above them once more, tensing when he felt Ouma’s run his hands down his back before feeling the other teen’s chest pressed against him. Kiibo closed his eyes shut, hoping that the supreme leader wouldn’t take note of the emergency button located on his nape. _‘He’s...he’s too close!’_

While the robot was busy panicking, Ouma smiled with amusement as he pressed his lips against the plating on the albino’s back, right where his spine would have been. _Fourteen._ Despite the robot’s reddening face, the plating on his back remained pleasantly cool to the touch. He gently pushed himself away from the android, taking note of his completely stiff posture.

 _‘Now...will he take the bait or will he swoop in for the kill?’_ Ouma ran a thumb across his lips as he smiled to himself.

“...A-any kind of kiss would suffice, right?”

“Hm?”

Kiibo shifted in his seat a little before shyly looking over his shoulder--his collars were already covering his lower face. “As long as it’s a ‘kiss’ then it would suffice right? Anything goes?”

Ouma leaned back on his hands, “Yeah. A kiss is a kiss. Just don’t forget the mistletoe and we’re good.”

The android was now facing him completely, still flustered from the previous kiss. “A-alright.” He lifted the mistletoe above his head, silently beckoning the supreme leader towards him. What Ouma didn’t expect was to happen as soon as he got close was to have Kiibo lean downwards, closing his eyes ever so slowly.

 _‘W-wait--! Is he for real?!’_ Ouma panicked--he wanted to move away, but he couldn’t seem to move a muscle. _‘H-he’s actually...going for it?’_ He found his own eyes fluttering shut, already surrendering himself to the inevitable.

...Except the inevitable didn’t happen. By the time Ouma opened his eyes, the albino had already pulled away. _Fifteen._ “What was that?”

Kiibo pressed his fingers together, “...It was a bunny kiss.”

 _‘No shit it was. There’s a huge difference between getting kissed on the lips and having someone rub their nose against yours,’_ Ouma groused internally.

“A-anyway...it’s your turn again,” Kiibo shyly scratched his cheek as he spoke. “We only need four left.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know how to count, Kiiboy.” the supreme leader huffed, gesturing for the mistletoe. “Still, that was _pretty_ childish of you--resorting to a bunny kiss of all things. That barely counted as a kiss!”

“Wha--you were the one who told me that a kiss was a kiss!” the android frowned, almost failing to notice the fact that the shorter male had already leaned down to kiss the symbol located on his left collar. _Sixteen._

“Are you deaf? I _said_ it barely counted as one! Meaning, it’s teetering between the lines of not being a kiss and actually qualifying as a kiss.” Ouma made a show of flicking out dirt from his nails. “You better come up with something more flashy for this turn to make up for--”

The supreme leader couldn’t even finish his sentence. As soon as he gathered his bearings, he realized that his back was flat against the bed with two metallic hands placed against his chest to keep him in place. “Ohhh?”

“...I don’t know what it is you want from me. I’ve done everything all according to your instructions, haven’t I?” Kiibo mumbled. “...And now you’re telling me I have to ‘make it up to you’ when I am positive that I did not violate any of your terms? Do none of my actions mean anything to you, Ouma-kun?”

Ouma’s eyes widened a little, taking in the android’s shaking voice, his quivering lips and his watering lenses. _‘...That’s not it at all...you got it all wrong, you stupid robot...’_

“Never mind. You don’t have to answer that.” Kiibo adjusted his position above the supreme leader so as not to crush the latter. “...Let’s just finish this so we can be rid of each other.”

Cool metal fingers slowly made its way up the supreme leader’s jawline, guiding the latter’s head to the side to expose more of his neck. Instead of the flustered demeanor which he had been nursing earlier, Kiibo’s face was now tinged with melancholia as he held up the mistletoe with his free hand. Ouma tensed as their bodies slowly came into close contact, with Kiibo’s lips only a hair's breadth away from his neck. His _oh so_ sensitive neck.

“K-Kiiboy--”

“...Is something the matter?”

Prompting the android to speak while he was practically right next to his ear was a big mistake. Kiibo’s gentle voice practically echoed directly inside his headspace and eventually burying itself deep into his psyche--rendering him speechless.

“...Since there’s nothing wrong, I shall resume.” Kiibo pressed his warm lips against the side of the other boy’s neck, sending figurative sparks straight down his jugular.

Ouma squeezed his eyes shut, willing his urge to push the android away to disappear. If this goes on for any longer, his heart would have burst out of his chest and all of the feelings he had intended to keep would leak out of the mangled organ. He can’t afford to show his hands too early, not when he’s still not sure of where they exactly stood in their odd relationship. Or...if he had a chance for that matter.

He found himself melting into the sheets as soon as the android pulled away from him, he gritted his teeth in a desperate attempt to silence his heart.

Kiibo still looked upset from their earlier conversation, but his cheeks are now dusted with light pink. “Well…?”

Ouma slightly lifted his head, still a little too weak to make his limbs function accordingly. “Eh. It was passable. I don’t have any complaints this time. Isn’t that great, Kiiboy~?”

“Don’t patronize me,” the android huffed as he tossed another berry in the trash bin. The seventeenth berry.

“How rude! Just when I finally decided to praise you a little,” Ouma clicked his tongue, shaking his head a little before moving to sit in a more upright position. “Anyway, two more left. Let’s do this.” He flung his arms over the android’s shoulders, standing on his knees to keep himself nice and steady.

“Alri--what are you doing--?”

“It’s my turn! I’m free to do what I want~” Ouma said in a sing-song manner, guiding the robot’s hand to hold the mistletoe over their heads. That unspoken rule. He’s going to break it. “Pay closer attention to me, okay?”

Somehow...the way the supreme leader’s eyes glistened in the modest lighting of his room sent chills down his spine. It wasn’t like his usual smiling poker face. His intentions remained a mystery, however, his eyes carried emotion. An emotion he couldn’t name at this point in time.

Kiibo’s eyes widened at the sensation of the supreme leader’s lips against his forehead once more. His confusion only grew as the raven-haired Ultimate pulled back with such a pure smile.

“Two,” Ouma still didn’t release the robot from his hold, opting to lean right back in instead, ghosting his lips against the robot’s very own. “And with this final kiss...the curse shall be lifted.”

“Ou--”

Ouma’s lips--as Kiibo had come to discover, was chapped and a little rough against his own, most-likely from the cold. Regardless of the roughness, the kiss was somehow pleasantly slow and had already long since surpassed the realm of being chaste. What surprised him even more was the fact that he found himself wrapping his arms around the shorter Ultimate.

One. Two. Three. Four--

Their lips have met each other again and again, not noticing the fact that the mistletoe had already slipped out of the android’s grasp. By the time they had come to their senses, the sheets were already in disarray and the supreme leader was laying atop the other unabashedly.

“Whoopsie~ Those sure were a _lot_ of invalid kisses, huh! You should have told me!” no matter how cheeky and unserious Ouma sounded, his flustered cheeks belied his words. “Anyway, since the curse is lifted, I’ll be on my way now~”

Ouma hastily put on his shoes disguised as efficiency before tossing the entire mistletoe in the trash bin. “I’ll be out of your hair now. Since you were so eager to get rid of me. Ta-ta~”

“O-Ouma-kun, wait--!”

BANG!

The door had already slam shut by the time he got out of the bed.

Kiibo released a defeated sigh as he slowly dropped to his feet, burying his awfully warm face into his pleasantly cool hands in the hopes of lowering his temperature to a more stable degree. This proved to be futile as he foolishly decided that reviewing his memories of the kiss would be a good idea in this kind of situation. It only served to make his face grow hotter, as the sensation of the kisses had imprinted inself in his thoughts not similar to his usual manner of remembering information.

“I...have a number of things to re-evaluate…” he mumbled to himself as he buried his head in his knees. “A number of...things.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Yes, plucking the berries of the mistletoe after a kiss has in fact been practiced dated back in the 18th century, commonly practiced by British servants.” Shinguuji responded without breaking a sweat--truly he was deserving of his title.
> 
> “I see...” Kiibo nodded along. “Were there any curses involved?”
> 
> “Curses?” Shinguuji regarded the android with mild surprise. “While it’s been said that refusing a kiss under the mistletoe would bring forth misfortune, there were no records of curses based on the mistletoe.”
> 
> Kiibo combed a hand through his hair, already expecting such a result. “...Thank you, Shinguuji-kun.”
> 
> “You look red. Are you perhaps overheating?” the taller Ultimate tilted his head as he shut his book closed, offering the artificial human his undivided attention.
> 
> “I’m fine. I truly appreciate your concern and for allowing me to take up much of your time. I have some plans for the rest of the day, and I must be off now.” Kiibo raised placating hands as he slowly backed away from his classmate.
> 
> “Mmm...I see. Very well then.”
> 
> “See you later--!” Kiibo bowed before exiting the Ultimate Anthropologist’s Lab with a single objective in mind.
> 
>   _‘I need to find Ouma-kun…!’_


End file.
